


Much Ado About Damie

by DaniBGoode



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Idiots in Love, Just a bit of fun, Love/Hate, Much Ado About Nothing, no ghosts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:35:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 24,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28397028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaniBGoode/pseuds/DaniBGoode
Summary: Dani and Jamie have been working together for a few months now but continue to despise each other. What happens when Hannah and Owen find themselves executing an old Shakespearean ploy to get them to see that they actually like each other a lot more than they think?Much Ado About Nothing AU I guess?(You don't have to have read Shakespeare to get it btw!)
Relationships: Dani Clayton & Jamie, Dani Clayton/Jamie
Comments: 11
Kudos: 109





	1. Act one

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written fanfiction in ten years so it's very possible that this will be terrible, but I fancied giving it a go anyway!
> 
> P.S. - When editing I was worried that I talked about drinking tea too often, but I can assure you as a Brit who drinks more cups of tea a day than I can count on one hand, there is no such thing as too much tea.

Dani had been having a lovely time at the Manor since she began her job there. She had been working as the au pair to the children, Flora and Miles, for a couple of months now. Dani felt like she was really belonging for the first time in a long time and she immediately found friends in Hannah, the housekeeper and Owen, the chef. She wanted Bly Manor to feel as much like a home as it did a job, especially considering this would be her home for the foreseeable future, but she found that becoming increasingly difficult with each passing day, thanks to a certain, short tempered gardener who worked on the grounds every weekday. This week, however, Dani had a spring in her step, a weight off her shoulders almost, since the gardener, Jamie, had been away for the week. _Some kind of vacation,_ she presumed, not actually caring to ask.

The American was pleased to find that she didn’t dread entering the kitchen at mealtimes that week and she was excited to spend time with Hannah and Owen without the other woman there, glaring daggers at her from across the room. Dani was beginning to get fed up with Flora constantly asking when Jamie was coming back but Dani knew better than to bring her qualms anywhere near them. She knew how easily influenced children were, and it wasn’t fair to express too many negative opinions around them. Especially not when those opinions regard a member of staff that the kids would have to see almost every day.

Hannah and Owen, both separately and, on some recent occasions, together, had asked Dani why she disliked the gardener so much. No one could really understand it, she was kind and loyal; hardworking and passionate, a necessary and welcome member of the Bly family. A dislike towards the woman didn’t make any sense to them.

Dani had responded with various reasons as to why she did not like the woman; she was arrogant, she swore too much, she was rude, she would clash with Miles, she never introduced herself when they first met, and so on. Dani had many reasons for her feelings, and she was always happy to explain those reasons when they were brought up by the others. She appreciated that Hannah and Owen were just looking out for their friend, but at least Dani could prove why she did not like Jamie, prove that it was at least a rational hate

Both Hannah and Owen had been surprised that the women did not get along. They were convinced that the two seemed a perfect fit for each other and that it was only a matter of time before they became as good friends as themselves. Hannah had sensed the tension right from the start between Dani and Jamie, but she had been so sure that the tension would fizzle into some kind of admiration for one another. How wrong she had been when the two of them had begun to distance themselves from each other instead. 

Owen suggested it first, when he and Hannah were drinking tea together in the garden, the two other adults no where to be seen. "Obviously they got off on the wrong foot somehow." He said to Hannah thoughtfully. "We could always give them a little push in the right direction?"

.

On Monday morning, Dani woke up immediately irritated. She dragged herself downstairs to make a coffee before waking the children and preparing for the morning. She was expecting Hannah and Owen to walk through the door any minute to get ready for breakfast. She was also expecting Jamie to come back today. She sighed into her fresh coffee at the thought of her recent comfortable routine being interrupted again by the presence of the gardener. Sometimes Dani just appreciated being able to walk around the grounds of the Manor without feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable. And she appreciated eating at the table with the others without the icy cold atmosphere that Jamie seemed to bring with her. She understood though, that with adult responsibilities comes having to put up with people you don’t like, and so she was prepared to power through.

That morning went to plan, coffee drank, children woken and dressed, breakfast eaten at the table with Hannah and Owen, and now Dani was teaching the two younger members of the Manor their various times tables, much to their disdain. Jamie had not arrived back yet, Dani had overheard Hannah telling the youngest child of the Manor that she would return by lunch that afternoon, which meant Dani had very little time left of the bliss she had been living for the last week. Upon finishing the lesson almost an hour later, Miles and Flora rushed out of the small classroom in their home, excited to play on the grounds together a little before lunch. As Flora jumped out of the doorway though, Dani heard the little girl scream excitedly.

“Jamie!” She heard small thumping footsteps on the hardwood floor, presumably she was running to greet the gardener.

Dani rolled her eyes to herself and slowly began to tidy the room she was left in. Placed pens and pencils in pots and filed away worksheets and paperwork regarding the children’s education. _It was going to be a long day,_ she thought.

At the kitchen table for lunch was the first time Dani saw Jamie that day. She couldn’t even muster up a polite smile and it seemed that Jamie couldn’t either. They sat at opposite ends of the table and did not interact. It was easier today than usual, however, for Dani to ignore the other woman as Miles and Flora couldn’t stop asking about her holiday. _So it was a vacation_ , Dani had learned. They had barely stopped asking Jamie mundane questions for long enough to eat their lunch, resulting in a stern telling off from Dani that the two could not play until they had finished their food.

The rest of the day went on the same, Dani going about her day, trying to keep herself out of the way, except at dinner when it was impossible. Hannah and Owen were being polite and asking Jamie in depth about her trip and Miles and Flora were following her around like lost puppies, assuming she had abandoned them when she left, never to return. The gardener didn’t have much work to do that Monday, so she spent most of the time catching up with everyone, preparing for things to go back to normal the next day. Dani had turned in for the night after putting the children to bed so as not to have to listen to Jamie anymore that day. Jamie, Hannah and Owen sat in the kitchen for most of the evening drinking foreign wine and chatting. It wasn’t unusual for Dani to decline the invitation to stay and drink with the three of them after putting the kids to bed.

Dani fell asleep almost immediately, to her satisfaction, due to the pent-up irritation she was feeling from the long day of having her least favourite person back in the house.

* * *

Jamie was driving back to Bly Manor feeling the most relaxed and content she had felt in a long time. She enjoyed working so much she often forgot how good it felt to have some time off to herself. She didn’t care too much about holidays or leaving the tiny country she was so accustomed to, but on rare occasions like this one, she forced herself out of her comfort zone and found herself on the first flight available to nowhere in particular.

The gardener loved her job and adored the people she worked with, well mostly, at least up until a certain American au pair turned up. She loved the work and found herself part of a tiny family which she had never expected to happen. She often struggled to let people in and get to know her; she knew better than to rely on other people, but Owen, Hannah, Flora and Miles had just made it so easy to make her feel loved and at home.

After an uneventful drive from London, Jamie finally found herself pulling up to the Manor, suitcase still packed in the back seat. She always ended up at the Manor instead of the small flat she called home at times like this. She had made it in time for lunch and as she walked through the large doors to the house she was immediately greeted with the huge smiles of the children; Flora quickly running into her arms as if they hadn’t seen each other in years. Jamie grabbed the girl up off the floor into a tight hug and ruffled Miles’ hair in a way she knew he pretended to hate but actually appreciated.

She pushed Flora onto her shoulder in a fireman’s lift, eliciting excited giggles from the girl and walked into the kitchen to find the adults of the house, Miles following the two of them closely.

“Alright?” Jamie asked with a smile as Hannah and Owen turned to greet the woman. She placed Flora down onto the ground and gave the two adults in the room hugs and pleasantries as Hannah passed her a fresh cup of tea. Dani, of course, was no where to be seen. She was most likely keeping herself busy in a separate room until she was forced to interact with Jamie at lunch.

Dani had been working at Bly for three months now, and Jamie still couldn’t work the woman out. She was used to not being liked and treated differently but the way Dani had jumped to conclusions about her really got under her skin. They had not spoken to each other since Dani’s first couple of weeks at the Manor after getting on so poorly. Her holiday had actually been a welcome excuse to get away from the woman for a little while. The negative energy when she was around was just exhausting.

At lunch, Dani, as usual, had nothing to say to the woman, and in her defence, Jamie had no intention to speak to the blonde either. It was easy to ignore her though thanks to the curious children questioning her on her holiday. She loved when they were like this, being kids and asking silly questions no one else would even think of. Their interrogation was interrupted when Dani told them off for not eating their lunch. One thing Jamie couldn’t fault with the woman was her ability to do her job.

Jamie did not need to be at work and certainly didn’t have any work to do until the next day, however, she had just spent the week on her own and wanted to casually hang around the house for a while until she had to leave in the evening. When Hannah and Owen had to tend to their own responsibilities, Jamie wondered out to her greenhouse to check on the progress of the plants and flowers she had left in the others’ care that week. What she didn’t expect was for Miles and Flora to follow her all around the grounds as if tethered to the woman. She couldn’t help but laugh at this adoration the children had for someone whenever they left for a short period of time. They had had a hard time in the last few years with the adults in their life disappearing and never coming back, so she couldn’t blame them for behaving this way. She ended up letting the kids’ water and mist some of the plants with her, so they weren’t just stood staring at her like little ghost children.

Miles and Flora followed the gardener back to the kitchen table that day for dinner, much to the amusement of Owen and Hannah. Although Miles and Flora lead the questioning at lunch, it seemed dinner was for Hannah and Owen to ask about her week away. Jamie couldn’t remember the last time she had to speak so much; she could feel her face beginning to ache from all the talking she had been doing all afternoon.

The adults at the table discussed grabbing a drink and having some down time after dinner when the children were asleep but, as always, Dani declined. Jamie didn’t understand why any of them continued to invite the woman to their occasional hang outs when she was so reluctant to join, but she supposed the other two were too polite for their own good.

With Dani disappearing upstairs, Jamie, Owen, and Hannah sat at the kitchen table together chatting about nothing in particular with their glasses of red wine. Jamie left it at one glass knowing she would be driving home soon and after a couple of hours she left the Manor, walking back to her battered truck and drove into the night. She soon made it back to the familiar pub and walked through to make her way up to her flat, crashing in bed before even thinking about unpacking.

* * *

The next day, Dani walked lazily down the stairs to the kitchen to make her usual morning coffee before waking the children. However, she was surprised to hear low whispers coming from the kitchen as she approached. She couldn’t make out what was being said and as she walked in, she saw Hannah and Owen sat facing each other at the table, leaning close. They glanced up as Dani walked in and quickly stopped talking, leaving behind a harsh silence.

“What are you two doing here at this time?” Dani asked. They were due in in the next half an hour, but it was very rare for either of them, especially Owen, to get to work this early. Jamie, however, would probably already be in her greenhouse doing God knows what.

“Fancied joining you for your morning coffee since we missed you last night. I can hardly espresso my excitement to see you this morning.” Owen laughed, flashing a smile at the blonde who was pouring her coffee, shaking her head at the man. He gestured towards the chair next to him, opposite Hannah at the table. Dani grabbed her now full mug and followed Owen’s eyesight to sit on the chair he offered the woman.

The three of them sat there talking about anything they could think of for a while before Owen stood up to begin making breakfast for the house. Dani and Hannah stayed seated, watching him with smiles as he walked away.

“So, what was the whispering about,” Dani began asking Hannah, “when I walked in?” The au pair did not want to lead with the question but rather was hoping that they would have their guard down enough after an irrelevant conversation that she could swoop in and pry it out of them. Unfortunately for Dani though, Hannah was one of the most tight-lipped people she had ever met.

“Hmm? Oh, it was nothing, dear.” Hannah quickly brushed off the question with a bright smile before finishing her tea and standing up herself. Dani didn’t believe her, of course. She would get it out of them at some point that day, no matter how hard she tried. She was nothing if not determined.

Dani finished her coffee and hopped upstairs to finally wake Miles and Flora, bringing them down to the kitchen for breakfast. And so it was the six of them again, the four staff and two children. An almost perfect family sat together, making conversation, and eating _. Almost._

“Dani, did you hear?” Owen started, his voice somewhat slowed down and exaggerated. “Jamie ended up in the States last week.” He smiled cheekily and nodded towards the woman in question as she sat at the head of the table, looking down at her plate, refusing to make eye contact.

Dani paused for a moment. She wanted to know why Jamie had gone, and where she went and what she did there and if she liked it. But wait, no. She didn’t care. “Oh yeah?” She finally replied, not quite meaning to sound as uninterested as she did but her voice fell monotone, nonetheless.

“That’s right.” Jamie confirmed after a short pause in a voice barely above a whisper as she stared daggers at Owen for forcing the interaction. The tension at the table could be cut with a knife as the room fell silent around the group. Hannah, Owen, Flora and Miles all awkwardly looking between one another whilst Dani and Jamie kept their eyes on their food, refusing to acknowledge each other as they continued to eat. Owen let out a small laugh and shook his head before asking the children what they would like to eat for dinner that day and whether or not they wanted to help prepare it. A welcome change of subject for both Dani and Jamie.

.

Later that day, Dani found herself lingering in the living room as the children were playing outside. It was blissfully sunny and hot out, which was quite rare for Bly at the best of times. She wanted to go outside herself, read a book under a tree and play with Flora and Miles a little. Perhaps even teach them about the insects they find near the lake. However, Jamie was planting new bulbs on a plot of dirt towards the front of the house, meaning Dani wanted to avoid leaving the building at all costs. Instead, she tried to keep herself busy between reading, tidying, and peeking out of the windows to check on Flora and Miles. Irritation creeping up on her again.

As Dani was walking up to the window for what could have been the fifth or sixth time in as many minutes, Hannah walked in through the front door, cradling a pot. She looked around until her eyes met Dani’s.

“This is for you.” The well-spoken woman explained with a smile, extending her arms and handing Dani a potted plant she did not recognise. A look of confusion consumed her face and Hannah laughed slightly in response. “From Jamie, for your room.”

“From… Jamie?” Dani asked, looking at the plant then back up at the housekeeper in front of her. _Why on Earth would Jamie give me anything, what does she need from me?_ She wondered. _Is this some kind of prank?_ Hannah gave Dani a sincere smile before walking passed her and up the stairs, disappearing behind a corner.

She leaned over to the window to see Jamie kneeling onto a patch of soil, digging shallow holes with her gloved hands, not looking anywhere near the house. She turned to make her way upstairs, wanting to find a good place to put her gift.

At lunch, Jamie hadn’t so much as looked at the au pair, so Dani didn’t find an appropriate time to thank her for the plant. She wondered if she didn’t mean for Hannah to tell her about intending it as a gift or if she just didn’t feel comfortable talking to Dani in front of the others.

Dani decided she wouldn’t bring it up unless Jamie did, not wanting to embarrass her. After lunch though, there wasn’t much time for Jamie to bring it up even if she wanted to since the heat of the afternoon had gone quickly, leaving behind a familiar English chill in the air. Jamie went off into the garden to work on something and Dani found herself chatting with Hannah and Owen for a while with Miles and Flora wandering around nearby.

Dani had offered to make the tea for the group which resulted in Hannah and Owen abruptly declining her offer. However, a quick idea popped into Owen's head. "Me and Hannah are fine for tea, thanks. But could you make one for Jamie and I'll take it out for her?" He asked the woman. Dani paused a moment before proceeding to make a tea for Jamie and a coffee for herself. She passed the hot tea to Owen and he placed it on a small tray beside a cake before wandering out of the door with a smile. Dani supposed that since the three of them had their feet up it was only fair for Jamie to have a tea break. _Owen was always so thoughtful,_ she thought to herself.

* * *

Jamie rolled up to the Manor as she did most days. She was always there before anyone else was even awake. She let herself in with the key she kept and made her way into the kitchen for her morning routine of drinking tea alone at the kitchen table, in silence, before getting started on the grounds. This morning, however, she heard the front door opening as she began drinking her tea and watched as Hannah and Owen walked into the kitchen together.

“And to what do I owe this pleasure?” Jamie joked, suspicious of the two of them. Since starting her job years before, Jamie could not think of a time where both Owen and Hannah had been at the house before Jamie had even started her work. They had no reason to be so early, not even when they were between au pairs and Hannah had taken on the childcare duties for a few months.

“Hello brew-tea-ful!" Owen began with a ridiculous grin. "Fancied grabbing a tea with our favourite gardener. That alright?”

“Suppose.” Jamie refused to acknowledge the pun, refusing to give him any kind of encouragement, but she made no attempt to hide her suspicion. She had known the chef too long now to know that he was often up to not good when he broke from his routine. For the next few minutes the three of them sat at the table together, Jamie got a strange feeling from the other two, they created a bizarre atmosphere that morning. She wondered if the two of them had finally admitted their feelings for one another or if they were causing trouble in an attempt to distract themselves from the reality of their not so platonic relationship. Jamie didn’t say any of these thoughts out loud though, she decided that if and when anything happened between the two of them, that was their decision to share with the others or not. _One of these days though,_ she knew it would happen one of these days.

.

A couple of hours after walking into the Manor, she found herself at the table, ready for breakfast. Unlike the day before when everyone was bombarding her with questions, Jamie could feel that familiar tension in the room as she and Dani avoided any reason to acknowledge each other.

There was the usual polite conversation across the table that Jamie didn’t usually find herself being a part of, merely listening and nodding when necessary. Until she noticed that all too familiar look on Owen’s face; a look of mischief and smugness.

“Dani, did you hear? Jamie ended up in the States last week?” He said across the table.

Jamie’s eyes shot up from staring at her plate to staring daggers at the man beside her. _What the fuck was he thinking?_ She wondered. She was so mad at the man that the blonde’s response didn’t register for a few seconds, but she knew it didn’t matter. There was no way Dani would bite and suddenly become civil enough to make conversation with her.

Jamie gritted her teeth, flashing a look of annoyance at the man next to her. “That’s right.”

An awkward silence filled the room after that, as if no one saw that coming, and Owen, looking pleased with himself, laughed before finally having the decency to change the subject. _What’s that bastard playing at?_

Jamie was happy for breakfast to end and got herself back to work. Noticing that it was hotter than usual, and an early summer sun had forced its way through the clouds, beaming down on the Manor, the gardener decided that she would work on planting some bulbs in the sun rather than lock herself away somewhere as she so often did. She had been meaning to plant them before she left for her holiday, but the weather had never quite allowed it.

Eventually, she noticed that everyone else had made themselves comfortable in the sun as well. Miles and Flora playing tag together and Hannah and Owen relaxing in chairs together with what she assumes would only be Gin and Tonic at this time. Of course, Dani was nowhere to be seen though. _British sun probably wasn’t good enough for her,_ Jamie laughed to herself.

After a little while she noticed Hannah stand up and make her way to the greenhouse to quickly emerge with a small potted Anthurium. She remembered that the housekeeper had asked not too long ago if she could give one to Dani to brighten up her room. Jamie didn’t mind, she was grateful if anything to have another plant to grow and look after everyday until it was ready for Hannah to take to the room. Jamie’s only condition was that she would not tend to it once it was in the au pair’s hands. The last thing she needed was a reason to be spending more time around Dani.

As Hannah disappeared into the house with the plant in hand, Jamie got back to focussing on her work, digging holes in the soil as Owen watched with his feet up and listening to the surrounding laughter of the children playing around them.

After lunch, Jamie quickly made her way back outside to continue her work while everyone else stayed inside, not appreciating the new chill that had fallen over Bly. She finished up sewing seeds and planting bulbs before making her way to her favourite place; the greenhouse.

“Jamie!” Owen announced with his jolly tone of voice through the door to the greenhouse where the woman was fiddling with some potted greenery.

“What’s up?” She asked, looking up at the man and wiping her hands of soil on a nearby cloth. He held out a small tea tray holding a large mug of tea and a scone. Jamie smiled, “service got much better while I was away!” she joked, walking towards the man, taking the tray from his hands, and placing it on the table closest to her.

“Oh, it wasn’t me, my sweet.” He said with a playful grin, appreciating the sudden look of confusion on the woman’s face. “It’s from Dani,” he explained with a wink, “said something about you needing to kick your feet up once in a while. Take a little Jamie time before dinner” He shrugged and briskly walked away before Jamie could interrogate him anymore. However, the look of horror on her face implied to him that she was not going to be capable of words for at least a few minutes. After an uncomfortable amount of time, Jamie took a sip of the tea and immediately spat it back into the mug. _Yep,_ she thought to herself, _that was definitely Dani. But why?_

That evening, with dinner laid out on the table, Dani and Jamie shared a small smile. Almost impossible to notice but it was the first time either of them had smiled at each other ever. Hannah and Owen noticed their brief acknowledgement and smiled deviously to each other _. This was going to be easier that anyone could have imagined._

That night, as Dani curled herself into bed to sleep, she caught a glance of the potted plant she had received from Jamie, that was now placed on her window ledge. She had looked it up in an old book about plants she found sitting on the bookcase in the living room earlier. Anthurium. She smiled to herself, _maybe I got her wrong. Maybe I judged her too quickly?_ But as quickly as the thoughts came, they were gone again, and Dani was drifting into a comfortable sleep.

* * *

The next day was cosy and tranquil. The morning and afternoon had gone as well as it so often did, ending with Jamie lost in her work somewhere and Dani sitting in the living room by herself, drinking coffee. She could hear Miles and Flora upstairs playing together, bickering occasionally.

“Where’s Owen and Hannah?” Jamie asked with a sigh, peering her head around the doorway to the living room.

Dani spun her head around in response, not used to hearing the woman’s voice speaking directly to her. Dani noticed for the first time in that moment that she actually quite liked Jamie’s voice and she appreciated the Northern English accent that came with it.

Dani hesitated a moment, thinking about where she had last seen the other two adults. “Not sure, thought they were with you?” Dani’s voice took an incline at the end indicating that she actually had no idea what she was talking about but didn’t want to make it seem like she doesn’t keep up with her friends. She felt bad that she had not noticed that the two were missing from the Manor.

Jamie didn’t respond. Merely turned to walk out of the room to look around the house. Dani got up from the sofa to silently help Jamie search the house from a decent distance. As soon as Jamie walked into the kitchen though, she noticed a piece of paper on the kitchen table that she had somehow managed to miss on her first walk through the house looking for the other two.

The note read, ‘Owen and I had to run off, an emergency but nothing to worry about! We will need you two to make dinner for tonight. We will be back just after 6pm, we will make it up to you. – Hannah’.

“Bad news, Poppins.” Jamie held the note up for Dani to read as she closed in, stepping next to the gardener leaning against the table and taking the note from her. Dani hadn’t heard the nickname before, she didn’t hate it, but the nickname came with such ease from Jamie that she did wonder if it meant that she had been talking about the woman to other people.

The lost puppy dog eyes on Dani as she finished reading the note made Jamie smile unintentionally. The blonde woman was cute when she was worried, which was convenient because that was pretty much all the time.

“Can they occupy themselves for a bit?” Jamie asked, gesturing her head towards the stairs where upstairs Miles and Flora were playing.

Dani didn’t say anything yet, just nodded at the other woman, not really even looking at her. Continuing to analyse the note in her hands with a face stern with worry at the fact that she would have to cook tonight.

“Poppins!” Jamie waved her hand in front of Dani’s stare to get her attention.

  
“Yeah…” Dani said finally, looking at Jamie for a second, before looking across the kitchen, analysing the situation. “Can we order food?”

Jamie shook her head. “That’ll risk wasting whatever Owen has in the fridge.” She assumed with a shrug. “Plus, the little ‘uns need their routine. Can’t go spoiling ‘em.” She pushed herself off the table finally and walked to the fridge to assess the situation. “How hard can it be with the both of us?” Jamie shouted back.

It had taken almost fifteen minutes for the two women to argue about what to make based on what was available to them and what they were capable of cooking. Fifteen minutes and they hadn’t even started preparing anything, let alone cook anything.

They had decided on lasagne, realising that Owen must have intended to make lasagne that evening judging from the handmade lasagne sauce sitting in the back of the fridge above a bag of minced meat bought from the butchers that morning.

As Jamie was throwing ingredients into a pan and stirring with no confidence whatsoever, Dani made her way upstairs to speak to Flora and Miles, who were still happily playing together in Flora’s room.

“Owen and Hannah had to be somewhere tonight, so Jamie and I are making dinner, they'll be back later.” Dani started, watching the disappointed faces of the children in front of her. “It will be a little late but we’re doing our best.” She finished with an unconvincing smile.

Flora looked at Miles, who in response, explained that a late dinner is no trouble. He tried his best to reassure Dani, but she wasn’t convinced, feeling as if she had failed them that evening. There was nothing in the world she hated more than disappointing the children.

Walking back into the kitchen, Dani noticed Jamie fiddling with lasagne sheets in a large glass dish. She walked over to stand beside her as the two of them in silence created something that vaguely resembled lasagne with the sheets of pasta, the sauce Owen made from the fridge and the minced meat filling Jamie had finished while Dani was upstairs.

Dani finally placed the dish in the middle of the oven and the two women worked together to clear the mess they had made of the kitchen, still refusing to break their silence. They finally felt as though dinner may even end up being a success, other than it being half an hour late of course.

Dani started laying out placemats for the kitchen table as Jamie went to check on the food in the oven.

“Dani…” Jamie began, and Dani could hear the quiet rage in her voice. She turned to see what the woman might be so annoyed at before she continued. “Has the oven been off this whole time?” Her voice was low and serious, like a disappointed parent.

Dani felt her heart sink at the words, so many mistakes, she was sure just one thing had to right for her that evening. Apparently, she couldn’t have been more wrong. _How did this become such a disaster?_

Jamie sighed loudly and ran her hand through her brown curls before turning away from the oven and walking out of the kitchen without a word, leaving Dani alone there.

Dani walked over to the oven and turned it on finally. _Apparently, Jamie can complain about it but not put it on herself?_ She shook her head, leaning her hands on the counter beside the oven.

She ran upstairs to explain to Miles and Flora that dinner would be around half an hour longer but assured them that they will be in bed more or less on time. They were polite to the woman but couldn’t hide the frustration on their faces as they continued to wait for dinner.

Walking back downstairs to check on the food Dani heard the front door open. Hannah and Owen walked in casually together before noticing the au pair on the stairs.

“Shouldn’t dinner be ready?” Owen asked as if he really thought this wasn’t going to go completely wrong.

“Where have you been? Is everything okay?” Dani wanted to sound genuinely concerned for the possible ‘emergency’ Hannah referred to in the letter, but it was clear that she was mostly just annoyed that she had to take over cooking duties.

“Fine, love.” Hannah began. “Just wanted to check on Owen’s mum.” It wasn’t a lie that Owen wanted to check on his mum, especially since he got to work so early that morning, but he could easily have done so after dinner. There was no immediate emergency.

“It’ll be half an hour.” Dani sighed, finally answering Owen's question. Hannah and Owen hung up their coats and followed Dani through to the kitchen.

“Where’s Jamie?” Hannah asked. Looking around the room with a small grimace.

“Stormed off.” Dani slumped down into a chair at the kitchen table, placing her head in her hands, elbows on the table.

Hannah and Owen shared guilty and sympathetic looks. They had planned to leave the two women together to sort out their differences, but it seemed as though they had got it wrong. The challenge of making dinner seemed to have pushed them further apart.

Owen kept an eye on the oven as Hannah finished setting the table. He had a meal pre-prepared hidden in the back of the freezer in case of a disaster but looking at the lasagne, he was confident that he would not need to use it and intended to take it home for his mother later that evening instead.

.

Upon finally being able to eat, everyone, especially Dani was surprised at how edible the lasagne had been. It certainly wasn’t perfect, but Jamie seemed to do a great job at cooking. Dani merely helped put it all together and forgot to turn the oven on. She realised then that it had, in fact, been her that ruined dinner. Jamie had done everything right, but Dani had failed every step she had insisted on being in charge of. Dani knew she had some making up to do.

When Jamie had not turned up for dinner despite everyone just about finishing their meal, Dani felt bad for the way that evening had unfolded, not meaning for it to have been so chaotic. She asked Owen to make some tea and took Jamie’s plate of food that had been sitting in her spot at the table and explained to the others that she was going to find her to make sure she ate but would be back in time to put the children to bed in a few minutes.

After feeling dejected and bad about their failed plan to get the women close, Owen and Hannah shot eyes at each other, thrilled that perhaps their plan hadn’t been a total miss now that Dani cared enough about the other woman to take dinner to her.

Dani knew where to find the gardener immediately; she had seen the woman shut herself in her greenhouse a few times before. Dinner plate and a hot cup of tea in hand, Dani pushed the handle down with her elbow and forced herself through the door into the greenhouse. At the sound of the door opening, Jamie peeked her head around the corner, surprised to see Dani of all people. She flashed a look of annoyance at the woman hoping she would get the hint, but Dani tried cut her off before she had a chance to say anything.

“I’m sorry about dinner.” Dani began, her voice soft and genuine. “I brought it to you.” She placed the plate down onto a table near the door along with the tea. Looking at Jamie with apologetic eyes.

Jamie looked between the food and Dani a few times, amazed at this seemingly sudden change in heart of the blonde woman.

“Did you make the tea?” Jamie asked first, not meaning it to sound quite as rude as it did.

Dani shook her head, “Owen.” She gave a small reassuring smile before beginning to back out of the greenhouse again.

“Hey!” Jamie shouted a little, getting Dani to turn her attention back towards her. She took a step closer to the American in front of her but still leaving a comfortable distance between them. “Thank you... And I’m sorry.”

And with that, Jamie looked away from Dani and picked up her tea, taking a large drink of it.

Dani had never heard Jamie sound so honest and gentle before. Dani knew in that moment that she may have made a mistake about the gardener. She gave a small nod towards the woman even though she was no longer looking at her, and left the greenhouse finally, walking back up to the house.

* * *

The next couple of days went on mostly as normal for the two women. The only difference to their routine were the occasional smiles they gave each other when passing and the brief formalities at the kitchen table before meals. There were even a couple of moments when a small ‘hi’ was passed between the two of them. It may not have seemed like much but Hannah, Owen and the two children all noticed a lightness in the air. There was little awkwardness and tension around the group now and it was a very welcome change to not have to feel as if they were walking on eggshells when speaking to the two women together.

After the unexpected success of the last plan though, Owen wanted to go a step further into pushing Dani and Jamie together. He didn’t want to be as reckless as last time, so he and Hannah allowed a few days to come up with the perfect plan. And that plan came straight from an old Shakespeare play gathering dust on the bookcase. A play that Hannah pointed out just happened to be incredibly relevant to the ploy her and Owen were attempting.


	2. Act two

Monday came around again and Dani and Jamie continued to be civil to one another, even acknowledging each other on occasion. Over the weekend, Hannah and Owen had decided on a plan. A simple plan but one they expected to be incredibly successful in getting the two women to realise their underlying appreciation for each other. All it would take were a few white lies and the help of the children of the Manor who seemed to have ears everywhere. They knew it would be much easier with the two kids involved. They never took much persuading to gossip and spread information around the Manor.

Sitting at the kitchen table drinking tea and talking about anything they could think of, Hannah and Owen prepared themselves for the execution of their plan. Dani was in the classroom, tidying the chaos that had somehow ensued from her lesson with the children just a few minutes earlier. Miles and Flora had decided to play outside before lunch and Jamie was fixing a broken gutter she had notice earlier that morning.

Upon hearing light laughter and small footsteps walking through the front door, Owen jumped into action. He raised his voice slightly and exaggerated his words.

“Hannah, did you hear about Jamie?” He heard the footsteps stop nearby, knowing that Miles and Flora couldn’t help but listen in on something they knew they shouldn’t be hearing. How often they had been speaking among themselves only to realise the children were hiding in the corner, listening the whole time. _They knew too much for their own good, so why not put their nosiness to some use?_ Owen figured.

“Hear what, dear?” Hannah responded in the same exaggerated tone.

“Jamie gave Dani a plant for her room, said something about wanting to give her one as pretty as her.” Owen explained winking at Hannah.

They could barely hear shocked gasps and giggles from the kitchen entrance.

“Ohh,” Hannah began, “I suppose they haven’t been good at talking to each other because they’re embarrassed that they like each other?” Hannah replied, causing Owen to hold in a snicker.

They took a moment to appreciate how ridiculous the situation was, never a dull moment in Bly Manor between the four adults who often found themselves acting more immature than the children they were there to care for.

At the brief silence, Miles and Flora finally entered the kitchen, trying but failing to look nonchalant. Hannah and Owen gave the two of them greetings of surprise, as if they had no idea that they were lingering in the doorway. 

“Oh, hello there!” Hannah began. “Should you two not be playing outside?”

“We just wanted to grab a drink before lunch.” Miles explained politely. He proceeded to grab a plastic cup of water for himself and one for Flora before they walked briskly out of the kitchen, their cups in hand.

Hannah and Owen could hear the two of them snickering and giggling their way back outside, knowing they had just planted the seed to begin their mission to turn enemies into friends. What could possibly go wrong?

* * *

At lunch, Dani noticed that the children were behaving strangely but she couldn’t get any information out of them. It felt as though they were communicating in their own language at the table, not wanting anyone else to know what they knew. Dani knew that secrets never lasted long at the Manor though so she was sure she would get it out of them within the week. _If I try hard enough_ , she thought to herself, _maybe I could even get it out of them by bedtime._

Between lunch and dinner, Owen told Dani to put her feet up for a while and relax in the living room with Hannah, explaining that he wanted to bake a cake and needed Miles and Flora to help. Of course, the children were ecstatic to be involved so Dani accepted the offer gratefully. She and Hannah sat in the living room together catching up vaguely and drinking tea together. Dani wasn’t yet a fan of English tea, but she was getting there. It just required an embarrassing amount of sugar.

Miles and Flora had helped Owen weigh up all the ingredients he needed and took turns placing each ingredient into a large mixing bowl for him. Owen then took the bowl and began mixing the ingredients together, explaining that strong muscles were needed, and the children were just a little bit too small for the job. Miles crossed his arms and looked at Owen with a furrowed brow at the suggestion that he was not strong enough. Owen poked his finger into the almost ready cake mixture and wiped a small amount on the boy’s cheek to get him out of his bad mood. The two children immediately broke into laughter at the gesture.

“Why are we having cake anyway?” Miles asked eventually, wiping the mixture from his cheek with a cloth that he found resting on the counter. Owen was hoping this question would come up, but he was also prepared for the possibility that neither of them would ask.

“Well, it’s Jamie’s favourite.” He started, kneeling a little to be at eye level with them both, also so he could keep his voice down so only they would hear him. “And Dani had a real _cake up call_ and asked me to make it because she thinks Jamie deserves her favourite cake after having to make dinner last week… And I always love an excuse to bake a cake!” He finished, standing up straight again and smiling at Miles and Flora who had huge grins on their faces, throwing wide eyed, knowing glances at each other.

Owen couldn’t help but laugh to himself as he poured the mixture into two cake tins. The children did love a scandal, and more so, they both loved seeing people happy. It was obvious that they wouldn’t be able to help but take it upon themselves to use this new information to ensure Dani and Jamie were happy, which of course would now require each other. Flora especially, with the books she would read, was obsessed with people falling in love.

Owen placed the cake in the oven and began on dinner, telling Miles and Flora that they could go bother Dani and Hannah in the living room for a little while and thanked them for their help with the cake. The two children ran from the kitchen to the living room and jumped onto the empty sofa together, Hannah and Dani sat beside each other on the other sofa. Miles and Flora lead the conversation with the two women from then on, until Hannah could finally break away to set the table.

Dani, Miles, and Flora were close behind the housekeeper in entering the kitchen, preparing themselves for dinner and taking their usual seats at the table as Owen plated the food. Before he sat down himself, he brought over a large, delicately iced cake and placed it in the middle of the table for after their meal.

.

“Right then, what’s all this?” Jamie asked, finally walking into the kitchen for dinner and noticing the red velvet cake on the table. She was so often the last to arrive at the table at mealtimes.

Miles and Flora began laughing between themselves, which caused Jamie to squint at the children suspiciously until they noticed and tried better to hide their laughter.

“Something for your trouble for the dinner you made last week.” Hannah began.

“Batter late than never!” Owen interjected.

Jamie looked between Owen and Hannah and then Miles and Flora, her suspicions increasing.

“I suppose you do owe us one.” She said, flashing a small smile at Dani, finally sitting at the table, giving the others a smile of appreciation.

Dani gave a small, knowing smile back to Jamie as Miles and Flora began their secret giggling again.

Jamie really did appreciate the gesture and she did love it when Owen decided to bake a cake, especially a red velvet cake. Typically favourite cakes were reserved for birthdays or important events. But there was something about the children’s snickering and secret whispering that made Jamie feel strange about accepting a slice of cake after dinner. She couldn’t help but feel as though she was unknowingly confirming something or accepting a silent proposition.

She tried to put her paranoia to one side and enjoy it, nonetheless. Working so closely with children, and a man child like Owen, meant there was mischief around every corner and there was only so long Jamie could keep her guard up.

.

The next morning, not long after breakfast, Dani and the two children found themselves in the classroom again before lunch.

Flora had been staring at the window a little while and just as Dani considered pulling the girl from her distractions, she spoke up.

“Miss Clayton?” Flora asked, turning to look up at the woman who was teaching them that morning.

“Yes, Flora?” She smiled, looking brightly at the young girl sat at her table.

“Can we get a plant for the classroom, like the one Jamie got you for your room?” Flora asked excitedly.

“Of course, we can ask Jamie just before lunch if you like.” Dani smiled happily at the girl. Then she hesitated a moment, realising she hadn’t told her about the gift and curious if Jamie had spoken to them about it. “How did you know that she gave me a plant?”

“We heard Hannah and Owen talking about it.” Miles explained.

“Is that so?” Dani gave a small laugh. So much gossip in the house, it’s amazing anyone had any secrets left.

“Yes, yes! And she said she wanted to give you a pretty one because she thinks you’re pretty, too.” Flora could hardly contain her excitement as she let the words fall from her mouth at a speed the American almost couldn’t keep up with.

Dani paused a moment, unsure of how she felt about the sudden information. Trying with all her might not to pay any attention to the joy she felt creeping up on her at the thought of the gardener calling her pretty.

“Jamie said that?” Despite her best efforts, she could feel the corners of her mouth forming a smile.

The two children began nodding their heads at her excitedly.

She could feel a blush washing over her face and her ears begin to burn. She quickly looked away from the children smiling in front of her and cleared her throat.

“Just a few more things to go through and we’ll go find Jamie about getting a plant, okay?” She wanted so much to pry but surely prying would imply that she was interested in Jamie being interested in her, and of course, she wasn’t. She decided instead to change the subject from Jamie back to the plant.

Both Miles and Flora were happy with that and got on with their work. Around ten minutes later they had finished, Flora beaming up at Dani, excited to play cupid before lunch.

Miles decided that he would hang back and watch from the front door as Flora began pulling Dani by the sleeve of her lilac jumper, dragging her out to the garden to find Jamie.

When Dani’s eyes found the gardener kneeling on the ground, assessing some saplings she had planted recently, she felt a strange feeling in her stomach. One that she had not felt many times before but one that she recognised, and the realisation hit her harder than any other ever had. She was excited to see the woman, excited to talk to her and listen to her accent, excited to get lost in her eyes and…

“Jamie!” She was pulled from her thoughts by the girl screaming the name across the garden.

The gardener looked over and rose from the soil, smiling at the child pulling on Dani’s arm. She looked up to meet the American’s blue eyes and smiled. Dani giving a shrug at the act of Flora leading her to the other woman.

Jamie laughed slightly. “What are you doing with Miss Clayton?” She asked, looking at Flora now, amused.

“We wanted to ask you.” Flora finally stopped in front of the woman, letting go of the sleeve that had been clutched in her fist. “If we could have a plant for the classroom? A pretty one like Miss Clayton.” Flora asked the woman, nodding rapidly with the widest grin she could muster.

Dani blushed at the compliment, hoping that the girl was going to be a little more subtle in her request, not wanting to indicate that she may know the true intention behind the plant sitting in her room.

Jamie gave a smirk to Flora _. Seems like someone has a crush on Miss Clayton_ , she thought, but decided to keep it to herself.

“Erm, yeah, of course.” Jamie hesitated, deciding it wasn’t appropriate to respond to certain parts of Flora’s request. She gestured her head for the two to follow her to the nearby greenhouse.

Flora grabbed Dani’s now stretched sleeve and began leading her again, this time to follow the gardener, as if not trusting that she would follow on her own.

As the three of them entered the greenhouse, Jamie pointed to a table of potted plants she had been misting earlier that day.

“Pick whichever you want,” Jamie began with a smile. “Can’t have a classroom with no plants.” She said to neither of them in particular.

A light silence filled the greenhouse as Flora assessed the potted plants sitting in front of her carefully for a moment, before turning to look at Jamie beside her. “Which do you think is the most like Miss Clayton, Jamie?” The girl asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible, although she knew exactly what she was trying to do in that moment. Sometimes two people just needed a little push in the right direction and Flora was more than happy to be that push.

Jamie looked down at Flora with a strange mixture of amazement and confusion, not fully understanding the girl’s intentions behind her new-found desire to get her and Dani talking. She glanced up over Flora for a moment to lock eyes with Dani who had a similar look of confusion on her face. Dani responded to Jamie’s eye contact with another shrug, showing that this is clearly all Flora.

After a pause that was far too long for Flora’s liking, Jamie finally looked back at the table and began. “Erm… Well...” She considered her words carefully. “How about an Anthurium… To match the one in Miss Clayton’s room?” She looked between Flora and the plant in question, trying to avoid eye contact with the other woman just in case. “It’s easy to look after, and it’s one of my favourites.” Jamie explained eventually, reaching to brush her fingers along one of its few red leaves. She figured it was the safest answer considering Hannah had given Dani one of her other Anthuriums. She felt like that was the best way to get herself off whatever hook she had found herself on that morning.

Flora smiled widely between the gardener and Dani before placing her hands up around the flowerpot in question. “Jamie, that’s just perfectly splendid!” Jamie quickly reached up to grab the pot from Flora knowing it was a little too heavy for the girl.

“Good, well…” Jamie began, clearing her throat. “Let’s go find a good place for it then?” She walked out of her greenhouse followed far too closely by Flora and Dani following behind that. Miles had watched the whole interaction quietly out of the way, although he had missed a small amount of what was said, he could tell by Flora’s skipping that it must have gone as well as the two of them had hoped.

Jamie walked into the empty classroom with Flora and placed the flowerpot on Dani’s desk at the front of the room, on the corner closest to the large window. “How is this?” Jamie asked. “Then you can look at it whilst Miss Clayton is boring you with schoolwork.” Jamie smiled at the girl, letting out a cheeky laugh. Dani rolled her eyes playfully from the doorway to herself, watching the gardener interact with Flora.

She had seen Jamie with the kids before, of course, but Dani had never quite appreciated until now quite how good she was with them. So kind and patient and helpful. _How could someone so short tempered be so good with children_? Dani wondered silently, knowing the two of them could be a handful a lot of the time.

Flora looked back at Dani as if to gauge her opinion on the placement. She gave a nod of confirmation to the girl who in response gave out a small squeal. “It really is perfectly splendid!”

She beamed up at Jamie before hopping out of the classroom excitedly at the sound of someone setting up the kitchen table ready for lunch. She was closely followed by Miles who had been lingering in the hallway so as not to seem as interested.

“Didn’t know she was so into greenery.” Jamie said when Flora was out of earshot, turning back to look at Dani standing in the doorway.

“Me neither.” Dani replied with a look of surprise plastered on her face from the entire interaction.

Jamie paused a moment before deciding to go ahead and say what she was thinking. “Almost feels like she has a little crush on you, Miss Clayton.” Jamie winked at the woman before walking by her and out of the classroom, heading into the kitchen where lunch was about to be served.

_Did I just wink? What the fuck was I thinking? What an idiot_. Jamie scolded herself, shaking her head slightly as she made her way to the table.

_Did she just wink?_ Dani asked herself, becoming surprisingly breathless at the gesture from the other woman. She repressed the thought that she wanted to get Jamie to wink at her again.

Dani thought for a moment about why she had disliked the woman so much. Could it have been that she picked on some random qualities Jamie had and chose to hate them because that was easier for her than acknowledging her true feelings? It had been so long since Dani had a crush on anybody, and she still wasn’t used to having feelings for women. She obviously massively misinterpreted how she really felt for the woman and now she was going to have to make it right. Even if it may lead to having to listen to everyone else in the house say, ‘I told you so.’ Dani turned from the room, closing the door behind her, and followed Jamie through to the kitchen for lunch.

* * *

Hannah and Owen had seen the whole thing play out from the kitchen window. They saw Flora pulling Dani to Jamie and the three of them walking around the corner. Then they had seen the three of them emerge with a plant as they walked into the Manor. The two of them had tried as much as possible to listen to the interaction between them all in the classroom, watching Miles in the hallway as he watched what was going on before him, hoping any reaction he would have would be a good indicator for what they couldn’t see themselves.

Luckily, they had managed to hear almost every word said in the classroom and couldn’t help but giggle at the realisation that everything was playing out exactly as they expected. They planted a seed in Flora, and she was so determined to let it bloom whilst Miles stood by to pick out any lingering weeds in their plan. A perfect team.

Owen leaned into Hannah as he was finishing up lunch while the kitchen remained empty, “one thing’s for sure. The kids aren’t gonna get bored for a while.” He smiled.

Hannah flashed an agreeing smile at the man, playfully squeezing his arm before going to set the table for the others.

* * *

Jamie found herself in the greenhouse thanks to a light shower of rain that was falling over Bly later that afternoon. She heard the rapid footsteps of small children followed by the voice of a girl she had already had to put up with the shenanigans of once that day.

“Jamie! Jamie!”

Jamie looked to the door of the greenhouse where the distant shouts from Flora had come from. She and Miles were clearly in desperate need to tell her something.

She was a little confused since they were no longer obsessed with her now that she had been back at work for a week, but it wasn’t particularly unusual for Flora to find something utterly pointless to tell all the adults of the Manor.

“Hey gremlins, what’s up?” Jamie smiled at the children, leaning against the table in the greenhouse, waiting patiently for them to start on whatever rabbit hole they were about to take her down.

“Do you like Miss Clayton?” Flora asked out of breath before furrowing her brow and adding, “and we are not gremlins!”

Jamie was taken aback by the question, not at all expecting it. She thought for a moment before asking. “Why?” Her relationship with Dani was complicated and she couldn’t exactly tell the children that she didn’t like the au pair, especially when she was someone they had to look up to and respect. And, at this point in time, Jamie was no longer sure if she did actually dislike Dani. Things between them had become strange over the last week.

“Well, she told Owen to make you the cake yesterday.” Flora began, still catching her breath.

Miles continued her thought for her. “She wanted Owen to make your favourite because she likes you and she felt bad for making you mad at dinner when Owen and Hannah were out.”

Jamie watched the children closely. “She said she likes me? That was the reason?” Jamie asked slowly through narrow eyes. Miles and Flora both nodded, and it didn’t seem to Jamie like they were lying.

It had never crossed her mind before that maybe Dani was so cold with her because she liked her. Like a schoolboy who can’t express his feelings so he can’t do anything but bully the girl he likes. She doubted herself for a moment, perhaps she was doing a similar thing? Dani was very pretty, smart, and kind, and she was so good with the kids. What was the reason she didn’t like the woman? Was there actually even a reason or did Jamie respond to Dani’s hesitation towards her the same way for the same reason? Jamie had disliked people before, and it was so easy to never think about those people again, but Dani; Dani was on her mind a lot more than she would ever be willing to admit. Those crystal blue eyes and her smile that lit up any room had found a permanent place in her head.

Jamie laughed at herself shaking her head at the thought, _just a couple of grown women with a crush acting more immature than the children._ She had a lot of making up to do, they both did.

She realised that she had been silent for a while with Miles and Flora staring at her with strange smiles on their faces.

“Well, I think you two need to stop listening in on conversations.” Jamie began. She didn’t sound stern because she wasn’t mad with them, but this was all she could think of to get the two of them to stop asking her about Dani. “Before you hear something you really shouldn’t.” She raised her eyebrows at the two of them before smiling and ruffling their hair at the same time in hopes that would distract them enough.

The two children could sense the awkward hesitation in the woman before them and decided to let her off the hook for the moment. They both smiled back at Jamie with their now messy hair and ran back through the rain to the light of the Manor.

.

After lunch that afternoon, Dani found herself with some free time as Miles and Flora were reading together in the living room.

The au pair ended up in the kitchen asking Owen to make a cup of tea for her. She tried not to elaborate too much and to her relief he did not question it. They made polite small talk before Dani took the cup of tea and left for the garden. She found herself wandering around for a little while before she stumbled on the woman she was hoping to find.

Jamie was walking across a large patch of grass not far from the house when she noticed the blonde woman making a beeline for her. She stopped walking a moment, looking towards the woman questioningly.

“Oh hey, I’m glad I caught you.” Dani began, holding out a cup of tea to Jamie. “Owen made it.” She explained quickly seeing the look of hesitation begin on the gardener’s face.

Jamie politely took the tea from her with a smile. “Thanks.”

Dani hesitated for a few moments as the two of them stood in silence. Although not a silence as awkward as she would have expected given the circumstances. Jamie had expected her to hand her the cup and leave but for some reason she was still there, a look of deep thought on her face.

“How was America?” Dani asked finally.

Jamie took a few seconds to understand what Dani was asking.

“My holiday? It was- It was nice. Really good actually… Thanks?” Jamie was struggling with her words; she had never had a real conversation with Dani before and this new friendliness was something she wasn’t at all used to, but she wanted to get used to it.

“Where did you go?” Dani asked, nodding at the woman before her. She stood maintaining eye contact with the woman, trying all she could to hear Jamie’s words and not get lost in her eyes as she had recently realised was incredibly easy to do.

“Massachusetts.” Jamie said nodding. “I tend to get on the first available flight in the airport, I’m not one for planning.” She explained, appreciating how easy it was to actually speak to the woman. Her eyes locked on Dani’s, a strange feeling washing over her and a heat filling her chest to match the heat of the tea in her hands.

Dani smiled at that. “I’ve never been, I’ve heard it’s really nice though.” She paused a second. “And, that’s super cool. That sounds like a fun way do a vacation.” She finished with a single laugh filled with kindness.

The sincerity in Dani’s voice made Jamie’s stomach do flips and hearing the American say ‘super’ and ‘vacation’ in that foreign accent made her melt. She hated herself for being so cliché that she would admire a woman with different accent. How was it that this gorgeous, amazing woman was suddenly so interested in Jamie? And how was it that Jamie had been so blind to how gorgeous and amazing she was? It was as if some kind of Cupid was making up for lost time by making her the easiest person in the world to be around all of a sudden.

“I’m sorry I was so cold before.” Dani started before Jamie could continue their current conversation. “I’m not usually so hostile.” Dani gave a small laugh, a look of guilt forming on her beautiful face.

Jamie laughed back, “yeah, me neither Poppins.” She smiled. “Let’s start fresh, yeah?”

Dani nodded happily, the suggestion was music to Dani’s ears and for the first time since arriving at Bly she was excited to get to know the gardener. “Absolutely!”

The two of them stood in a comfortable silence for a few moments, appreciating the scenery of the garden and smiling at each other. “Oh…” Dani began as if remembering something important she had to speak about.

Jamie raised her eyebrows in response.

“Poppins?” Dani asked with half a smile, narrowing her eyes slightly as the other woman.

“Yeah… Like Mary Poppins.” Jamie explained as if it should have been obvious. “You’re the nanny! And it fits you well, I think.”

Dani paused a moment, wondering if this interaction had gone well enough to say what she wanted to say. She took a deep breath and took the risk, assuming that Jamie of all people would appreciate the playful humour.

“Because you know me well enough to know what fits.” To Dani’s relief Jamie immediately let out a laugh. A genuine laugh that she had not heard many times from the woman before. A laugh that was reserved for the times something actually tickled her, unlike the polite, reserved laugh she gave when something was only moderately funny.

Dani couldn’t help but grin at the sound and sight of Jamie’s laugh. _How could you become so addicted to something so quickly?_ She wondered hopelessly.

When Jamie had stopped laughing, she smiled at the woman. “Well, how about you grab a drink with us tonight when you’ve put the little monsters to bed?” She began smoothly. “Maybe I could finally get to know you?” Jamie was almost shocked at her own words. She certainly did want to get to know Dani, especially now that they were finally getting along. But it took her by surprise that she would ask it so casually and openly.

“Yeah, okay…” Dani started with a smirk and a small nod. “I’d love to.”

The two of them shared a genuine smile before Dani suggested that she should head back inside before the children get bored of reading and start getting up to no good. Jamie watched as the woman walked away, feeling a rush of excitement at the thought of finally being able to spend some real time with Dani soon.

Owen was just about finished cooking dinner, so Dani offered to set the table while Miles and Flora got themselves ready for dinner. Hannah had wondered into the kitchen a few minutes before and now found herself lingering, unsure of what to do with herself as Dani was doing her typical premeal job.

“I was just talking to Jamie…” Dani didn’t look at either of the adults in the kitchen with her as she spoke, keeping her eyes on her task instead. “And I told her I’d like to join you guys for a drink tonight.” She allowed a smile to creep on her face, still refusing to make eye contact.

Hannah and Owen shot wide eyes at each other. They hadn’t expected so much progress in such a short amount of time. Both of them amazed at the power of Flora. Owen began shaking his head out of disbelief while Hannah spoke up.

“That’s great. We’d love to finally have you there.” She said, and she meant it, of course.

Dani finally looked up to look Hannah in the eyes and give her a genuine smile at her statement.

Dinner that evening was the first meal in three months that did not have a drop of awkwardness in it. Dani and Jamie both barely speaking to each other still but somehow it felt as though they were old friends having dinner with chosen family. Finally, the atmosphere between them all had flipped from bitter and awkward to warm and friendly. There was no longer a coolness lingering when the women were together.

.

Dani, for the first time since she stepped foot in Bly Manor, found herself walking downstairs after putting the children to bed, rather than locking herself in her room for the night. Jamie was standing at the bottom of the stairs in a large coat, holding a second coat in her hand.

“Hey, we’re outside.” She said, handing the coat to Dani before stepping to the front door and holding it open for the other woman, gesturing for her to step outside.

The two of them walked in silence to a small bonfire in a secluded corner of the garden, Hannah and Owen already comfortably sat next to it, bottles of wine in hand. Dani and Jamie each took a seat next to them, facing the fire, grabbing a bottle of red wine each.

Conversation between the four of them flowed so well it almost felt scripted. Dani had never felt so comfortable in a group of people and she was kicking herself that it had taken her so long to allow herself to experience this. She knew she got on well with Hannah and Owen, but it felt different, even easier somehow, with the children in bed; just adults talking and laughing and getting to know each other.

“You’ve never spoken of your love life.” Hannah stated, aimed at Dani. All four of them had begun to feel a little tipsy thanks to the last hour of sipping wine between conversations.

“Well, there’s not one to speak of.” Dani laughed. Before considering herself. “Well, actually, I was engaged… Before I moved to England.” She began, fully expecting the response she was met with.

Jamie, Hannah and Owen all turned to look at Dani as if in unison, with wide surprised eyes. She always found it so funny how people would react when she said that. Especially when she came out with it as nonchalant as she often did.

There was a long silence before Dani continued, realising her friends were obviously too polite to pry.

“It’s fine.” She reassured first. “We were too young to begin with, and then I realised I really didn’t want to be with him at all.” She smiled between the other adults politely before taking a drink of wine from the bottle.

“What about you?” She questioned looking at Hannah. “Love life?” She didn’t quite mean to but upon asking the question she found herself glancing between Hannah and Owen. She had assumed they were together when she first met the two but that was confirmed to not be the case when she overheard Miles asking Owen if he had to leave early to see a girlfriend when he had a late appointment one day.

A laugh broke from Jamie and Owen whilst Hannah shifted a little in her seat looking at the American beside her.

“It’s not for me, I don’t think.” Hannah gave a reserved laugh.

Dani gave the woman a thoughtful nod. “Owen?” She then asked, making eye contact with the man sat beside Hannah.

“I don’t think love is my _cup of tea_.” Owen explained, emphasising his attempt at a pun, holding his bottle of wine out to the woman and then taking a sip.

“Owen, you’re drinking wine.” Jamie sighed, rubbing her eyes in exasperation. At times like this she was unsure if Owen did it on purpose for the laughs or if the drink was getting to him. Dani and Hannah both lovingly shaking their heads at the man.

Dani turned deliberately to Jamie before asking. “Well? Same question.” She smiled, trying to seem as casual as she had when she asked Hannah and Owen, in an attempt to hide her genuine interest in the woman’s answer.

“I suppose none of us have had much luck with love.” Jamie was watching Dani closely as she responded, watching as the reflection of the flames danced in her eyes. An intrusive thought creeping into her head; _but I want you to change that, Dani._

The two women watched each other for just a moment too long and Hannah and Owen certainly noticed. They both knew that their work was done, and that Dani and Jamie would easily find their own way to each other now. It was just a waiting game.

Dani finally broke herself from Jamie’s gaze to look back at the fire in front of her as she took a large gulp of the wine in her hand.

“But no one else broke off an engagement so I guess you win, Poppins.” Jamie said eventually in an attempt to ease the tension between the group. She gestured her bottle towards Dani in a distant cheers before taking a drink. Dani looked back to smile at the woman, appreciating the joke.

So here Dani was; an American in rural England working as an au pair in a Manor, making unlikely friends, single for the first time since she was a teen and falling fast for a woman she had spent the last three months despising. Everything was changing so fast; she was free falling through her life but for the first time she was excited to see what the future would hold.


	3. Act three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to those of you interacting with this story! I super appreciate it! :):)

Since her first get together with Hannah, Owen, and Jamie at the bonfire, Dani had joined the three of them a few more times after putting the children to bed to drink and chat. It became something they did every other night and they had all gotten to know each other incredibly well, Dani becoming a strong member of their group.

On one particular night, Dani and Jamie found themselves sitting in the living room alone after Hannah and Owen decided to call it a night slightly earlier than they usually would. The four of them had been drinking wine in the heat of the lit fireplace, as they so often did on these evenings, and talking about anything that happened to pop into their heads.

Owen made an excuse to have to leave after one drink to get home and see his mother, and at that, Hannah had also decided to leave, blaming fatigue and stating that she could do with an early night.

Dani and Jamie were sat comfortably beside each other on a sofa, both turned slightly to be able to face each other easily. The two had a glass of wine each and an almost empty bottle of red wine, an old Chianti that Owen had found gathering dust in the Manor’s cellar, sat on the coffee table in front of the two of them.

As Hannah and Owen left the Manor, a slight awkwardness fell around the two women. This was the first time they had been left to drink alone, without the ease of conversation from Owen. The two of them had grown to know each other very well, however. Jamie had learnt that Dani had moved from Iowa six months before starting her job at the Manor. She had learnt that Dani was engaged to her childhood sweetheart but eventually decided to call it off after finally accepting her sexuality. She had learned that Dani used to be a teacher but struggled to find an appropriate teaching job in her six months of living in England, so eventually decided to apply for the au pair job.

Jamie hadn’t been quite as open as Dani had, but Dani had still learnt more than she ever expected to from the gardener. She learnt that Jamie had a difficult childhood and ended up being dragged from foster home to foster home. She had also learnt that Jamie had brothers, but she refused to disclose any details about them, they were merely brought up as a throw-away comment. She had also learnt that Jamie had ended up spending some time in prison, which is where she learnt to garden and her love for the work had developed and, by lack of a better term, blossomed.

Dani was incredibly grateful that Jamie had let her guard down enough to share those painful memories with her. She was sure that much of Jamie’s openness was a result of the alcohol.

Jamie, however, knew that it wasn’t the drinking that was making it so easy to speak to Dani about her past. She knew that it was just Dani, and how easy she made opening up. The gardener found it so easy to talk to the American as she fell into the depths of her blue eyes. She also felt like she owed Dani, for being so kind and open to her; for sharing her own story with Jamie.

Of course, Jamie had spoken about her past to both Hannah and Owen in the beginning, when she had first found herself working at the Manor when the days got too hard for her. She hated showing vulnerability, but she also knew that they were good, kind people who would never judge her on her mistakes. It was an incredible burden off the gardener’s chest when she finally found herself crying with Hannah and Owen over a bottle of whisky, retelling the dark tales of her past.

It was different with Dani though, somehow. Easier in a way.

The children had been in bed for a number of hours and Hannah and Owen had not long left the house when Dani finally decided to beak the comfortable and familiar silence they had found themselves in.

“Listen, Jamie.” Dani began carefully, she drank the last mouthful of wine before placing her empty glass on the table beside the bottle. She was beginning to feel tipsy. “Thank you for the Anthurium. I heard what you said about me and…” She paused a moment, turning more to fully face Jamie now, trying to find the courage to bring everything between the two of them to light. “I know I wasn’t very nice to be around, but you did it anyway. So, thank you.” Dani finished with a sigh as nervousness washed over her and a blush creeping onto her face.

Jamie looked at the woman curiously, watching every twitch in her face as she spoke. “What do you mean?” She asked with a slight tilt of her head.

Dani was hoping she wouldn’t have to say it out loud. Although she knew she was much braver than anyone ever gave her credit for, Dani was always terrible with this kind of thing; she hated how bad she was with her words sometimes. “Hannah told me you wanted me to have it… The plant.” She hesitated a little, screwing up her eyes. “And Flora and Miles heard her telling Owen why you wanted to give me it.”

Jamie could feel the cogs turning in her own head as Dani was spilling all the information. She chose to air on the side of ignorance until she had more proof of the doubt she was having about the recent gossip that had been going around the house. “And why exactly did I want to give it to you?”

“You’re really gonna make me say it?” Dani laughed, her cheeks filling with an even deeper red of blush.

“Poppins, I think we have a problem.” Jamie began with a humorous smile, the realisation of how they had both been manipulated by the rest of the house hitting her finally. “You didn’t tell Owen to bake me a cake because you 'liked me', did you?” She said the words 'liked me' whilst air quoting with her fingers, holding her wine glass between her knees for a moment to do so.

Dani looked at her in utter confusion. “No…” She shook her head slowly at the woman, waiting for her to explain whatever was going on in her head.

Jamie let out a loud laugh, throwing her head back in the way that Dani loved but was curious about in this particular moment. “We’ve been played, I reckon.” She explained finally. She looked Dani in the eyes intensely, turning herself more on the sofa so she and Dani were fully facing each other. “I think Hannah and Owen have been putting ideas in the gremlins’ heads to get us talking.” She couldn’t help the smile on her face. She was shocked and impressed at the ridiculous tactic from the other two adults of the Manor. She placed her not quite empty glass of wine on the table beside Dani’s without breaking eye contact.

Dani continued watching Jamie in shocked silence, her brow slowly furrowing at the realisation that she had just made a fool of herself. A horrible feeling of embarrassment replacing the butterflies she so often felt in her stomach when she was around Jamie. She finally took her eyes from the gardener’s in hopes that Jamie would not recognise what she was feeling.

She did. Jamie reached over to place her hand on the woman’s knee reassuringly. “Hey…” She began, waiting for Dani to look her in the eyes before continuing. “Just because it wasn’t true then, doesn’t mean I don’t mean it now.” Jamie smiled brightly at the woman in front of her as Dani’s look of confusion merely grew at the gardener’s words. She took a moment to consider herself before deciding not to hold back on what she wanted to say. “In fact, they got me all wrong. I would have given you something prettier than the Anthurium. I don’t think it quite does you justice.”

Dani stopped breathing at Jamie’s words, surprised at the bluntness of them. She had never imagined hearing her say something so significant to her, she realised in that moment that this was all she ever wanted to hear from the gardener, this is all she ever wanted from the moment she had first locked eyes with Jamie almost four months earlier. Dani sat staring deeply at Jamie for an almost uncomfortable amount of time as Jamie stared back at her with slight concern, trying desperately to figure out what she was thinking but refusing to take back what she said despite the panic she was feeling at possibly stepping over the line.

Before Jamie could finally break the long silence, Dani jumped forward, her lips crashing against the other woman’s. As their lips met, Dani finally remembered how to breathe as Jamie matched her actions and kissed her back. Her hands grabbed at the collar of Jamie’s shirt as Jamie’s hands fell to Dani’s hips, pulling at the belt loops on her jeans. Their kiss was messy and desperate but so were their feelings for each other. Dani’s world stopped for a moment and she knew immediately that this was exactly where she was meant to be. Nothing in her life had ever felt as right as that moment.

After a blissful few moments, Dani broke the kiss, tipping her head so her forehead rested on Jamie’s without opening her eyes. She could feel a smile spread across her face so wide she could already feel her cheeks aching. The two of them sat there for a number of seconds, foreheads touching, their heavy breathing filling the silence of the room. When Dani finally opened her eyes, she was immediately met with Jamie’s dark eyes staring at her and a smile so unlike any she had seen from Jamie before.

Dani tried desperately to find the words she needed but they never came.

“Dani…” Jamie began eventually, forcing herself to say what she wanted to say, refusing to let herself repress any feelings in that moment, she had already let herself repress so much. “I’ve wanted this for so long, I can’t believe it took those two idiots to make me realise.” She wasn’t embarrassed by the wide smile she was wearing as she finally pulled her head away from Dani’s to get a better look at her.

“Me too, Jamie.” Dani responded in an almost whisper, her voice lost in the depths of her throat.

Dani couldn’t believe her luck, but as she let her mind wander, she realised something and her smiled shrunk a little at the thought.

“What’s wrong?” Jamie asked quickly, seeing the realisation of something on Dani’s face.

“Think of how smug Hannah and Owen are going to be when they find out.” Dani laughed. She wasn’t exactly ungrateful, just frustrated that they were right and would rub that in for as long as they would know the two women.

Jamie laughed at the concern on Dani’s face before nodding at her statement. “I hate them sometimes.”

“I have an idea.” Jamie whispered to the woman. “I think we need to get our own back.” She winked at Dani.

Dani allowed a sly smile at the suggestion. “I agree. What did you have in mind?”

“Well, I’m torn between pretending their plan didn’t work and playing enemies…” She paused a moment. “Or, giving them a taste of their own medicine and getting them to declare their obvious undying love for each other.” Jamie clutched her chest dramatically as she spoke, eliciting a laugh and a playful push from Dani.

“Really? Stooping to their level. I thought we were more mature than that?” Dani joked and Jamie watched the woman with a smile.

“Sounds like you’re scared of fun, Poppins.” Jamie joked, with a wink and a smirk as she leaned over to pick up her wine glass again from the table.

Dani rolled her eyes and sighed, flashing a playful smile at the woman. “Fine… we can have our fun. And there’s no reason we cannot do both. I mean, pretend we hate each other again AND make them realise their feelings for each other as well.”

“Damn. You wanna go all in?.” Jamie confirmed, a mischievous smile forming on her face. “We’ve got some planning to do, I think.” She poured the end of the wine in her glass into her mouth before putting the glass back on the table and giving Dani all of her attention.

* * *

The two women decided to speak to the children before enacting their petty revenge. In the morning, Dani asked Jamie to make an excuse to meet her in the classroom with the children at the end of her lesson to run it by them.

As Dani was finishing her teaching, Jamie slipped through the door and walked silently to stand beside her. Flora and Miles were watching her as she walked across the room, knowing something important must be happening for Jamie to be there with them.

Dani and Jamie were aware that Hannah and Owen were sat in the kitchen, most likely gossiping, so they knew they had a little time on their side to discuss things with the children disguised as the end of their lesson. Jamie had an excuse ready in the form of a flickering light bulb (which didn’t exist), on the unlikely chance that either of the other adults would see her there.

“Jamie and I wanted to know if you would like to play a game with us.” Dani explained to both children as she leaned down a little to meet their eye level more, Jamie stood beside her, hands buried in her pockets. “We want to trick Hannah and Owen into thinking we aren’t friends again.”

Both Miles and Flora looked up at the women with sheer glee on their faces. There was often little to do at Bly Manor which is why they so often resulted in gossiping and creating mischief, but it was always so much more exciting to play tricks on people with a big plan and the other adults involved, and they so rarely had the opportunity to do so in such a close-knit home.

Luckily for the women, Miles and Flora had accepted their suggestion without question. The two were worried that, if asked why they wanted to convince Hannah and Owen that they didn’t like each other, they would have to go down the rabbit hole of explaining the trickery played on them that the children were not yet fully aware of.

“We’re gonna pretend we don’t get on again, yeah?” Jamie began, gesturing between herself and Dani as the children listened carefully. “We just need you to go along with it.” Jamie felt strange standing before them both in a classroom. She couldn’t help but feel as though a teacher’s post was the very last place she belonged.

Miles and Flora nodded understandingly. “We can do that!” Flora exclaimed.

“Great! Try not to tell them about this conversation.” Dani started. “And if you do a really good job for us, we’ll make sure to get you both a gift!” She smiled at the children, eliciting somehow even more childish glee from the two.

Jamie watched the woman beside her as she spoke to the children. She had such kind eyes and a delicate voice when speaking to them and it made Jamie’s heart flutter. Miles and Flora shot grins at each other noticing how Jamie was looking at Dani, hoping a fairy tale love story may be in the making.

“Go on then.” Dani said with a smile as she gestured her head towards the door of the classroom. “Go make yourselves busy before lunch.”

The two children skipped out of the classroom together as Dani and Jamie watched them with smiles. As their footsteps disappeared in the distance, Jamie turned to Dani. “Really, Poppins? Bribery.” She crossed her arms at her words, giving the blonde a fake look of disappointment.

“It’s not bribery!” Dani tried to explain. “Let’s call it an incentive.” She shrugged flashing a playful grin at Jamie. They stood looking at each other in silence for a little while before Jamie spoke up.

“I better disappear before Hannah or Owen sees us here and start asking questions.” She placed a hand on Dani’s bicep and rubbed the woman’s arm intimately. “I’ll see you later though, yeah?”

Dani placed her hand over Jamie’s on her arm and nodded at the woman. “Yeah.”

Jamie turned to walk away from the blonde, leaving her to linger in the empty classroom until enough time had passed that it wouldn’t seem suspicious if they were seen.

Dani made her way to the kitchen, knowing Jamie, Miles and Flora would all most likely be outside on the grounds somewhere. On her journey through the hall, Dani noticed Hannah and Owen sat drinking tea together in the living room. They often did this if Owen had something cooking in the oven with nothing else to prepare.

Dani walked straight to the kitchen counter at the far end of the room and began making herself a coffee. She took it to the table to drink it, not wanting to force herself on Hannah and Owen in the other room. She sat there a while, listening to the children’s shouting and laughter from the crack in the kitchen window.

“Hey love,” Hannah began as she walked into the kitchen, seeing Dani sat at the table, steaming cup in hand. “I was just speaking to Owen and we were thinking of having a drink tonight if you’d like to join us again?” She leaned on the table opposite Dani but didn't sit.

Although Dani had joined them the last few times, Hannah was still too polite to not ask the woman, much to Dani’s satisfaction now that her and Jamie’s plan was in action.

“Oh, thanks Hannah,” Dani forced a sigh. “But I’ll give it a miss actually.”

“Are you okay?” Hannah asked genuinely. It had been so nice having the group of adults together, getting to know each other better and sharing a laugh.

“Yeah, I’m fine... I just think Jamie and I are growing tired of putting up with each other.” Dani said in the dullest tone of voice she could muster, she almost had herself convinced. “Don’t get me wrong…” She added quickly in response to Hannah’s look of disappointment. “I really loved getting to know you and Owen. Maybe we could do it without Jamie sometime?” Dani was surprised at how hard she was finding this already. But, of course, she just had to keep reminding herself that, not only was this deceit temporary, it was also justified considering what Hannah and Owen had spent the last two weeks doing.

She gave Hannah an apologetic smile with as much sincerity as she could force herself to give. Hannah gave a small smile back before turning to walk out of the room, footsteps stopping in the living room.

 _And so it was beginning_ , Dani thought to herself.

* * *

Hannah soon found herself walking outside when Owen had explained that he needed to check on lunch. She hadn’t told him what Dani had said, not yet. She wanted to get the full story before telling Owen that their plan may have failed.

She walked towards Miles and Flora who were kneeling in the dirt, watching a worm wriggling through the blades of grass. She sighed to herself knowing their knees would be filthy when they got up.

“Perhaps the two of you can take Miss Clayton out to the greenhouse to find Jamie and show you the new plants?” Hannah asked the children. “Much more interesting than a silly worm.” She gave a small laugh

Flora and Miles looked at each other before giving each other a look of silent confirmation.

“We don’t think Miss Clayton would like that.” Flora began, standing up to get closer to Hannah, her lies coming to her with great ease.

“Nonsense.” Hannah laughed politely to the two children. “They’ve been getting on great recently.” At her words, Miles also stood himself up beside his sister, brushing the excess dirt from his trousers at the knees.

Flora shook her head pointedly in response, as Miles spoke up in his sister’s defence.

“Miss Clayton gave Jamie her plant back.” He began, innocently, hoping his lies were as convincing as Floras. “And they keep avoiding each other again.” He turned to Flora who gave him a subtle, reassuring look.

The housekeeper looked between the two children with a strange look, before turning to look up at Dani’s bedroom window where she had been able to see Jamie’s plant sitting for the last few days.

Miles seemed to have been correct that Dani no longer had Jamie’s plant as she could no longer see the Anthurium sitting in her bedroom window.

Hannah finally smiled at the two children still stood staring up at her. “Well, perhaps the two of you can find Jamie then?” She smiled, rubbing the base of her skull carefully with her hand as she tried to repress the look of concern in front of the children.

Flora and Miles both nodded before walking towards the greenhouse. They knew she was right about there being more fun things to do than watch a worm, but it was the most interesting thing they had noticed when they each happened to be playing in the grass together.

.

After lunch, Jamie went back to work outside, and Hannah told Owen to take some time for himself in the living room as Dani and herself cleaned up after their meal. He happily accepted and Hannah was pleased to find that the kitchen was quickly empty besides herself and the American woman.

“Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask. What happened to the plant Jamie gave you? Miles mentioned that you returned it to Jamie?” Hannah asked, not looking at Dani yet as she cleared the dirty dishes from the table and walked them over to the sink.

“Oh, I put it back in the greenhouse.” Dani tried to explain calmly, as if it were an action that had left her unaffected. “It didn’t feel right keeping a pity gift from her.” She was beginning to wash up the dishes Hannah was bringing to her, not letting her eyes move from the sink before her.

It almost hurt Dani to speak about Jamie like this now, but she knew that for the short amount of time they would have to put up the act, it would be worth it to get their own back on Hannah and Owen.

Hannah was lost for words at that, she watched the blonde closely.

Dani could feel Hannah staring into the side of her head. She slowly turned to face the woman in an attempt to clarify. “Look, I appreciate your help, but we really tried to get along, at least for the sake of the house. It just kind of became exhausting.” Dani shrugged and flashed a sad smile at the other woman before turning back to the sink and getting on with her housework.

Hannah stayed quiet on the matter for the rest of the day, hoping something may come to light when she saw Jamie that evening over the buzz of alcohol and the comfort of friends.

* * *

That evening, after dinner, Dani said goodnight to the three adults at the table and took the children upstairs to get ready for bed. Within half an hour, she found herself walking past the stairs and into her own room for an early night’s sleep, feeling almost a little dejected at not spending time with the other adults.

Hannah, Owen and Jamie were settling themselves in the living room with a new red wine Owen had found, the label too worn for anyone to read but it had been sealed and that was good enough for all three of them.

“Is Dani not joining us?” Owen asked, looking between Hannah and Jamie.

“Not tonight, I’m afraid.” Hannah responded with a fake smile.

“Finally.” Jamie muttered under her breath, just loud enough for the other two to hear but quiet enough that it seemed as if she didn’t want to be heard. Jamie turned to see Hannah and Owen giving her the same look of concern. “Don’t look at me like that! It was better without her.” She finished, turning away from the two and taking a drink. It made her uncomfortable to say the words out loud considering how little she meant them, but she knew the slight discomfort would be worth the revenge she would get on the two other adults. And, God, did they deserve it, meddling in her perfectly boring life like that.

Hannah and Owen looked at each other closely, with eyes filled with disappointment.

“We were under the impression that you were getting on?” Hannah asked the woman. Although Dani had already explained this to her that afternoon, she hoped that there was some kind of misunderstanding that Jamie could clear up. She was latching onto the single thread of hope she had left.

“We tried. Fake it ‘til you make it, and all that.” Jamie began to explain, refusing to look at Hannah directly in case her face was less convincing than her words. “It just wasn’t working for us.” She finished, taking a large gulp of her beer.

Both Hannah and Owen continued to fail to hide their disappointment but didn’t say anything else on the matter. They both began wondering if they had been wrong about the whole thing; if they were pushing something that really wasn’t there.

None of them mentioned it again that evening, much to Jamie’s relief. It certainly wasn’t over and Hannah decided that she wanted to understand it all better, but that was for another time, another day.

.

The next day, Danni set an alarm in an attempt to see Jamie before Hannah and Owen made their way to the Manor. She woke up far earlier than she would ever want to, but it was helped by the early night she forced herself to have the night before. She made herself a coffee and Jamie a tea before sneaking out of the door and making her way to the greenhouse.

Jamie was watering some plants Dani didn’t recognise when she placed the cup of tea down on the table in front of the woman.

“Thanks.” Jamie said with a smile as she lifted the cup to her mouth and taking a sip, before immediately spitting it back out.

“Sorry.” Dani said genuinely. “I thought I was getting better.” She took a sip of her coffee, hoping the caffeine would make the long morning easier.

“You’re not.” Jamie joked, with a laugh and a smirk. “But thank you anyway.”

The smiled at each other for a few moments in silence before Jamie finally broke it.

“So, plan’s going well, I think. They seem gutted that their little scheme didn’t work.”

Dani nodded at the woman but didn’t say anything, just looked at her.

“What’s wrong?” Jamie found herself asking. She wasn’t sure anything was necessarily ‘wrong’, but she knew lying was much more difficult for Dani than it was anyone else.

“I dunno, Jamie. It just feels wrong.” Dani explained to the woman finally.

Jamie laughed in response, giving Dani a half smile. She knew Dani was kind, but she was clearly too nice for her own good. “We don’t have to do this.” Jamie explained, stepping closer to the other woman, closing the small gap between them, taking Dani’s coffee cup from her hands and placing it on the table beside them both. “And hey, we’ve just about convinced them that we’re not fond of each other, just the matchmaking to do now, halfway point.” She gave the blonde a large, reassuring smile. “But it’s just a bit of fun. Why can they fuck with us but we can’t fuck with them?”

“I can think of other ways we could have fun?” The words fell from Dani’s mouth before she had a chance to stop them. She had never been one to flirt so obnoxiously but there was something about Jamie that seemed to bring it out in her. As she said the words, her eyes widened in shock at what had slipped from her lips and worried that it was too forward for Jamie, especially since they hadn’t that that conversation yet.

“Blimey!” Jamie raised her eyebrows in surprise at the woman’s words. She tried as hard as she could to repress the images of the fun she could have with Dani; she didn’t want to make it obvious to Dani what she was thinking but she also couldn’t hide the smirk that grew on her face.

“Oh- I- I didn’t mean…” Dani began stuttering, her face becoming a deep red colour and her ears on fire. She tried to take a step back, away from Jamie, but at her attempt Jamie lovingly pulled her back by her arms.

Jamie laughed at the severe embarrassment on the American’s face. She just couldn’t help it. “Poppins! It’s fine.” She smiled widely at the woman, trying to reassure the woman that what she said wasn’t stupid at all. “I can’t say I don’t agree with you.” She winked as she squeezed Dani's arms in her hands.

Dani let out a large breath that she had obviously been holding in out of nervousness.

“I just think they need to be taught a lesson.” Jamie said with a shrug, before she gave a cheeky grin to the woman. “And try not to say something about teaching me a lesson, yeah? Don’t think that pretty face can handle much more blushing.” Jamie winked at her yet again, rubbing her hands along her arms.

Dani rolled her eyes and placed her lips against Jamie’s in a firm kiss. She quickly decided that this banter with Jamie was the best thing in the world. The playful flirting and the smirking and winking was everything to her. She had no idea how she had survived this far without it, but she knew she could never go without it again.

Jamie dropped her hands from Dani’s arms and wrapped them around the small of her back instead, as Dani let her hands rest on Jamie’s ribs. Dani broke this kiss before it got too heated.

“You know, I have this thing…" Dani began, watching Jamie as she spoke. “in my room that needs… fixing. If you find yourself with the time today, could you take a look at it?” Dani narrowed her eyes and bit her bottom lip.

Jamie was lost for words for a moment. She raised her eyebrow involuntarily at the woman and she could feel a slight blush creeping up on her cheeks. She nodded in a way much goofier than she would ever have allowed usually, but her mind was elsewhere.

Dani smiled as she watched Jamie’s internal panic. “I better go, before Hannah and Owen-“

“Right, yeah.” Jamie interrupted, still lost in her thoughts. She watched as Dani grabbed her coffee and walked out of the greenhouse. It took Jamie a little while to compose herself again, thoughts of Dani swimming in her head and a that feeling Dani often caused in her of butterflies let loose in her stomach.

.

Jamie decided that the most appropriate time to make her way to Dani’s room was just before dinner. Between breakfast and lunch, Dani had to teach the kids but between lunch and dinner, Miles and Flora would have time to themselves and Hannah and Owen would be working on dinner together. The gardener had forced herself to spend all day doing work outside, keeping out of the way. Less than an hour before dinner, Jamie snuck into the house and up the stairs before turning to walk towards a door that she had never walked through before.

Dani opened her bedroom door at the sound of footsteps in hopes that it was Jamie. Upon seeing the gardener barely a few feet away, Dani reached out and pulled her in by the shoulder straps of her dungarees before closing the door abruptly behind her. She pressed the woman against the now closed door and kissed her.

Jamie was frozen for a moment in amazement at Dani’s bravery, before reciprocating the gesture and deepening the kiss, one of her hands getting lost in the woman’s blonde hair, the other resting on her shoulder. She was confident of what might happen between the two of them, but she was expecting to at least get the chance to knock on Dani’s door first. Maybe lean against the door frame and say something flirty and witty, maybe throw a wink at her until she couldn’t hide her blush anymore and pulled her into the bedroom.

Jamie much preferred it this way though. She loved seeing Dani confident and carefree, calling the shots and making the moves. She loved knowing that Dani wanted her as much as she wanted Dani.

Jamie slipped her tongue into Dani’s mouth eventually, eliciting a small moan from the woman pressed against her. Jamie decided in that moment that making Dani moan like that was the only thing she ever wanted to do again. Their tongues brushed against each other, dancing in the heat of their mouths. Dani knew Jamie would be too considerate to make any further moves, understanding that Dani had not been with a woman before. So, at that thought, Dani allowed her hands to wonder. Allowed them to slip from the straps of her dungarees and over the woman’s ribs, falling to grab her hips in her hands.

Jamie’s breath hitched as she felt the other woman’s fingers dig into her hips, pulling them into her. She allowed one of her own hands to stroke circles on the back of Dani’s neck as the other slid down her ribs to rest on her hips, mimicking Dani’s movements. She could feel Dani smile into the kiss at that and Jamie was overwhelmed with a rush of heat filling her abdomen in response.

Just as Dani began letting her hands wonder further, biting down on Jamie’s bottom lip, there was a polite knock on the door. The two women pulled away in an instant, faces flushed. Jamie silently jumped from the door to hide in Dani’s en suit bathroom.

“Yes?” Dani asked as she sped towards her bed to sit on the edge of it, trying but failing to not sound flustered.

The door handle turned, and Hannah poked her head through the crack she made in the door.

“Sorry to bother you, dear. Have you seen Jamie anywhere?” Hannah asked with a small smile.

“It’s no problem.” Dani began, clearing her throat to try to sound more confident and less guilty. “No, I haven’t seen her. Sorry. Have you asked Owen?” Dani gave a small smile back.

“Yes, he hasn’t seen her since lunch. I suppose I missed her hiding in the garden somewhere.” Hannah gave a laugh. “I’ll see you at dinner.” She gave Dani a nod before closing the door behind her and descending the stairs.

Jamie poked her head around the corner of the bathroom to see a flustered Dani sighing. “I better go make myself known.” Jamie smiled. She walked towards the blonde before placing both hands either side of her face and pulling her into a kiss. When she pulled away, she allowed her hands to linger a moment, rubbing Dani’s jaw with one of her thumbs before pulling them away and slipping out of the room.

When the door to the bedroom closed behind Jamie, Dani flopped back onto the bed, letting out a deep breath. 


	4. Act four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who read and interacted with this story! (And sorry for the inevitable mistakes, I just don't have a good eye for them)   
> I hope you guys loved reading this even half as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Dani was finding it increasingly difficult to keep her hands to herself around Jamie, let alone play enemies with the woman, so she decided that they needed to get Hannah and Owen talking romance as soon as possible. She was having fun messing with the two of them and she knew that Jamie was eager to get her own back on them, but the longer it took, the more desperate Dani found herself getting.

“Oh, hey. I was hoping to see you!” Dani exclaimed as she walked into the kitchen to find Owen boiling some eggs for breakfast.

“I don’t think anyone had ever been so _egg_ scited to see me!” He beamed a smiled at the American woman who was now stood right beside him.

She slapped him lightly on his arm with the back of her hand and shook her head. “Is Hannah around?” She asked the man eventually.

“The church building I think.” He replied, gesturing his head at the kitchen window. “Why?”

“Well…” She hesitated for a second, trying to find the right words. “I’d like to think we are friends, Owen.” She smiled at the man and he nodded back at her. “She thinks a lot of you… And I know you think a lot of her too.” She paused a moment.

“What are you saying, Dani?” Owen asked suspiciously, guessing where this may be going but hoping he might be wrong.

“I’d just hate to see the two of you waste time without each other because you are both too scared to act on your feelings.” She hadn’t quite intended to sound so abrupt, but she meant every word she said to the man. She was kicking herself that it had taken her months of hating on Jamie before she finally accepted her real feelings and she knew it would have been such a better use of time to have spent those last few months in Jamie’s arms instead of avoiding her.

Owen turned away from Dani to drain his saucepan in the sink and allow the hardboiled eggs to cool in a bowl of cold water. He didn’t say anything in response, he merely slumped his shoulders.

“I’m sorry if that was out of line.” Dani explained politely. “I’ve just never seen two people so perfect for each other. When I first met the two of you, I actually thought you were together.” She smiled towards the chef.

Owen nodded, considering the blonde’s words carefully. “It’s not like I haven’t thought about it.” Owen explained.

Before he had a chance to finish his thought, the front door slammed closed and the two of them could hear familiar footsteps walking towards the kitchen.

Hannah noticed the strange atmosphere in the room as soon as she walked in and gave the two adults stood by the sink a look of concern as she walked slowly towards the table.

Dani quickly spun on her feet and began walking towards the kitchen door to the hallway. “I better make sure the children are getting themselves ready for breakfast. Excuse me.” Dani flashed a smile to Owen before giving Hannah the same smile and disappearing into the hallway and up the stairs.

Owen didn’t disclose the topic of their conversation to Hannah. Instead, he tried hard to change the subject and make the air around him and the housekeeper a little lighter and less awkward. He knew Dani was right, she often was actually. He had loved Hannah for a long time now, too long to have not done anything about it if he were being honest with himself, but he cared for her so deeply that the risk of potentially losing her never seemed worth it.

The two of them fell into a comfortable and familiar small talk as Hannah set the kitchen table ready for breakfast and Owen plated the food for breakfast.

* * *

Throughout the morning, Jamie found herself running in and out of the Manor. She had a small passion project to tend to in the greenhouse that required some attention and some tedious maintenance issues with the house that needed sorting. She didn’t mind, of course. She preferred to keep as busy as possible when at work at the best of times, but she was especially grateful for it now as a distraction from Dani.

As difficult as it may have been to keep her distance from the woman now that their feelings were out in the open, Jamie was committed to getting back at Hannah and Owen. When she set her mind to something, particularly something mischievous, there was no stopping her.

“Alright.” Jamie announced on her way out of the Manor for what may have been the fourth time since breakfast. She walked up to Hannah who was stood in the garden, lit up by the late morning sun, looking at a bed of newly planted Calendulas. She stood beside the woman, also staring at the flowerbed.

“Hello, love.” Hannah said, glancing at Jamie before looking back down. “These are beautiful.”

“Yeah. I decided a little change might be in order.” Jamie smiled, lightly kicking a little excess soil into the bed of flowers with her foot. “I’m actually glad I caught you.” She said, turning to face Hannah.

“What’s on your mind?” She asked, looking up at the gardener and turning to face her.

“So, I’ve known you and Owen a while, right?”

Hannah nodded at the woman, looking at her carefully.

“Well, look, I’m getting sick of all this pinning between the two of you. When are you gonna declare your undying love for each other?” Jamie asked playfully, flashing a small smile at Hannah.

Hannah sighed before looking back down to hide from Jamie’s eyes. “I don’t think it’s that simple.” She explained in a voice that sounded more disappointed than she would have intended.

Jamie took a moment to think before speaking to the woman again. “No, I think it is actually. Everyone sees it.”

Hannah allowed a silence to fill the garden, refusing to respond to Jamie.

“Just think about it, yeah. You deserve to be happy too, ya know? And I know he would do anything for you, Hannah.” Jamie finished, giving the woman beside her a small nudge with her shoulder, before turning around and walking back towards her greenhouse leaving Hannah where she was standing, pondering.

Hannah knew that she loved the man, she had for some time, but she always managed to talk herself out of admitting it to him. It had taken her far too long to even admit it to herself and a risk taker she certainly was not. She knew Jamie was right, though. When was she finally going to allow herself to act on her desires and do something for herself?

.

Owen caught Jamie in the kitchen as he was cooking lunch for the house. She was walking through, on her way to make herself a cup of tea before the meal was served. She usually waited for someone else to make one but on this particular day, everyone had seemed to be rather stingy with their offers.

“Hey, Jamie?” Owen called in a dramatic whisper, as if he were about to spill the biggest secret anyone had ever heard.

“Hmm?” Jamie stopped beside him, the kitchen silent and empty apart from the two of them. Jamie began fiddling with the kettle and two mugs.

“Can I ask you something?” He leaned a little closer to the woman, continuing to whisper. He sounded much more serious than usual.

“No.” Jamie replied. Her tone was deadpan and serious, but she knew that the man knew her well enough to know it was a joke regardless of her tone. Owen responded by giving the gardener a firm but playful push.

“I was thinking of speaking to Hannah.” He began, his voice more nervous than Jamie had ever heard it before. She poured the boiling water into the mugs over some tea and added milk, handing one to Owen. She nodded in response to his statement, waiting for more of an explanation. “I think… I think I need to tell her how I feel.” He finished finally; hesitantly.

Jamie nodded before smiling up at the man. “I think it’s about time!” 

* * *

Dani was just leaving her bedroom to check on Miles and Flora and ensure that they were cleaning themselves up and getting ready for dinner when Hannah appeared from around a corner. The two children had been painting in class that day and somehow they managed to make more of a mess than Dani had anticipated. She didn’t ask them to clean themselves up straight away, _‘just as long as you have clean hands for lunch’_. She told them.

“Can I have a word?” Hannah asked the au pair quietly, ensuring the children would not hear.

Dani nodded, “Yeah, of course.” She gave the woman a welcoming smile.

Hannah hesitated for a moment, trying to find the appropriate words before speaking up in even more of a whisper this time. “I know you have noticed that Owen and I have… something special between us.”

Dani nodded politely; her smile still bright on her face. She could sense the relief that came Hannah admitting her feelings for the man.

“I think I want to tell him how I feel.” She added with a small sigh of relief. 

Dani raised her eyebrows at the woman in surprise, trying not to look quite as ecstatic as she was feeling. “Hannah, that’s great!” She said sincerely. “You should, I think-“

But Dani’s words were cut off by Miles and Flora running towards her together, somehow managing to look as though they had never touched paint a day in their lives. Dani shot Hannah an apologetic look before praising the children and heading downstairs and towards the kitchen with them, Hannah in tow.

.

“You seen this?” Jamie asked Dani as they both stood in the kitchen that afternoon, trying to maintain a comfortable distance between each other. Dani was on washing up duty after lunch whilst Jamie was making herself a cup of tea before she headed back out into the garden. She was gesturing for Dani to look out of the window where Hannah and Owen could be seen walking the grounds together as Miles and Flora sat on a low branch of a tree nearby.

Dani watched Hannah and Owen stroll slowly through the short grass of the garden, standing close to each other, close enough to lightly brush their arms together occasionally. "Hannah told me earlier that she wanted to tell him how she felt." Dani explained to Jamie, looking at the woman expectantly.

"Oh yeah? Owen told me the same thing before lunch." Jamie laughed, smiling at Dani.

“You think they’re doing it now?” Dani asked as she continued to watch them both, trying desperately to work out what was being said between the two of them but struggling.

“I bloody hope so!” Jamie replied with a chuckle. Picking up the tea she had just made and bringing it to her mouth. Before she took her first sip she added, “the sooner they sort their shit out, the sooner I get to be all over you.”

Dani looked at the gardener as she took a sip of her hot tea, she could feel herself blush as the woman watched her over the rim of her cup. She found herself a little lost for words and opted to change the subject instead. She nodded at the tea in Jamie’s hands. “Where’s mine?”

“We’re not friends, Poppins!” Jamie began with a smirk. “I thought you didn’t even like English tea?”

“I like it when you make it. And it’s the gesture more than anything.” Dani smiled at the woman before glancing back out of the window to ensure that they Hannah or Owen were not about to walk in on their flirty conversation. The two other adults were further in the distance now, clearly in a deep discussion about something.

Jamie allowed the silence to fill the kitchen for a few moments as she watched the American woman stare outside and wash the dishes in the sink.

“I’ll make you all the tea you want when this is over, yeah?” Jamie said finally. “Until then, I better get some work done.” She lifted her hand to brush down the top of Dani’s arm lightly before smiling at the woman and walking out of the room and into the garden with the rest of the house.

Dani watched Jamie as she left and noticed herself sigh. She adored these small moments with the woman, the joking and the flirting as she found herself getting lost in her eyes. Dani had made a lot of mistakes in her life, she had been lost for so long, but now everything finally felt right. She eventually turned her full attention to the sink full of now barely warm water as she quickly finished washing up.

.

When dinner finally came around, it felt strange to Jamie and Dani; there was a new tension in the air and, for once, it wasn’t between them. Their play fighting seemed to be going well, and Miles and Flora seemed to be doing a great job at not letting anything slip to Owen and Hannah. They were almost concerned at how good the children were at deceiving the other adults. but there was a new tension in the air that wasn’t between them. Hannah and Owen had said less than usual during the meal and they had been caught glancing over at each other a few times.

The mealtime conversation had been filled mostly by Miles and Flora due to the lack of conversation from Owen and Hannah, but no one really minded. Everyone was always happy to hear what the two children had to say regardless of how silly it may have been sometimes.

When everyone had finished eating, Hannah had offered to wash up as Owen made the adults some evening tea before most of them had to leave. Miles and Flora got to drink some pre bedtime hot chocolate instead.

Hannah finished washing up in no time and soon sat with the rest of the house drinking the tea Owen had left in her space at the table. They all sat in a warm and comfortable silence, Flora occasionally giggling at Miles as he gave himself a chocolate mustache as he drank.

Owen took the last gulp of his tea before standing from the table. “Well, I best be going.” He announced.

Hannah paused for a moment before also allowing herself to stand from the table. “Yes, me as well.” She smiled at the others. “I’ll walk you to your car, Owen.” Dani and Jamie shared a subtle, knowing look across the table.

Owen and Hannah soon left through the front door together after saying their goodbyes to the children and the two women at the table. Jamie collected the empty mugs from around the table whilst Dani did her job of taking Miles and Flora upstairs to put them to bed.

Dani walked into the silent hallway a little over fifteen minutes later, noticing that Jamie was no longer lingering in the kitchen. She assumed the woman wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye so decided to check to make sure her truck was still in the driveway.

Dani peeked her head outside and before she was able to look for the truck she noticed Jamie smoking, stood against the brick wall of the house right beside the front door.

“Hey.” Dani said, stepping out into the chill of the night to stand beside Jamie, letting the door close behind her.

“Hey.” Jamie replied, smiling at the woman, and offering her the cigarette that had just been between her teeth.

Dani shook her head at the offer. “No, thanks. Were you heading home?”

Jamie nodded. “Yeah, just needed a smoke before the drive.” She smiled, flicking away the excess ash. “And I couldn’t go without a goodbye.”

There was a brief silence between the two of them as Dani watched Jamie’s lips as they rested around the cigarette and watched as she blew the cloud of smoke from between her lips.

“You could…” Dani began, taking a moment to force the nerves down. “always stay?”

Jamie turned to the woman stood beside her, eyes wide. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Dani replied as she bit her bottom lip, her eyes drifting from Jamie’s eyes to her lips.

At that, Jamie threw her half-smoked cigarette on the floor, standing on it to put it out, before giving Dani an excited smile. Dani pressed Jamie against the wall and kissed her, wrapping her hands in her brown curls. She could taste the stale smoke on Jamie’s lips, but she didn’t mind. Jamie smiled into the delicate kiss, letting her hands play with the waist of Dani’s jeans. When she finally broke the kiss, Dani grabbed Jamie by the hand and pulled her to the front door.

The two of them stumbled into the Manor together as quietly as they could manage. They walked through the hallway, hands intertwined, before noticing movement from the kitchen. Assuming it was Miles and Flora having snuck out of bed for some reason, Dani sighed, dropping Jamie’s hand and walking briskly towards the kitchen expecting to tell the children off. Instead she was met with the sight of Hannah and Owen in an embrace, their lips connected, hands wrapped around waists and a small, barely audible moan that filled the silence of the kitchen that seemed completely out of character for the housekeeper.

Jamie followed Dani close in case of emergency. She managed to follow close enough to also catch the kiss before Hannah and Owen noticed the women watching them in amazement, mouths hanging open in complete shock.

Hannah and Owen stepped away from each other quickly, looking more guilty than Dani and Jamie had ever seen them. Hannah gave her mouth a slight wipe with the tip of her thumb in a way that wasn’t nearly as subtle as she’d hoped.

Jamie couldn’t help but laugh at the situation. She gave out a “finally!”

“Were you two hiding in the garden just to sneak in through the kitchen door when I went to bed?” Dani asked still wide eyed, knowing full well that that was most certainly what had happened. _I didn’t realise you were both teenagers_ , Dani thought to herself, deciding to keep that particular thought to herself for now.

When her question was met with an expected silence, she turned to Jamie stood beside her to ask, “did you not see Owen’s car in the driveway?”

“Oh yeah, didn’t really think anything of it. Got distracted, didn’t I?” Jamie explained with a wink to the blonde.

Hannah crossed her arms at the accusation. “We weren’t hiding! We were talking. Then we got a bit chilly and let ourselves back in.” Hannah finally acknowledge the wink and the playful smirks between the two women. “I thought you two had fallen out again?”

Dani and Jamie looked between each other. “Busted.” Jamie said with a shrug and flashed a smile at Dani, reaching to give her shoulder a quick squeeze.

“We know you tricked us into talking.” Dani said in a voice she usually reserved for telling the children off, crossing her arms also in an attempt to match the seriousness of Hannah. “We didn’t want to give the two of you the satisfaction of getting us together.” Dani explained, her eyes narrowing slightly.

“Together?” Owen asked before Hannah could retort. “Like together together?” His eyes widened and a smug smile growing on his face.

Jamie rolled her eyes, forcing her hands into her pockets and looking at her feet so as not to have to look at the man, she hated this look he had.

“We just wanted you to get on, we weren’t trying to play cupid!” Owen explained excitedly.

“Maybe not, but Flora certainly was.” Jamie told the man, continuing to avoid his eyes. “Anyway, you only made us realise what we already knew deep down.” She shrugged to herself. “Would’ve happened sooner or later, I reckon.”

Owen was nearly vibrating in excitement, his eyes jumping between Jamie and Dani.

“Enough about us.” Dani said after a moment, making eye contact with Hannah who had tried to remain silent. “What about you two?”

Hannah sighed, knowing that she was going to have to explain it at some point. And, truth be told, finally kissing Owen was the most amazing thing she had experienced in a long time, she had no intention of hiding her feelings any longer. “Jamie made me realise that I had to stop putting my happiness to one side.”

Owen quickly added to Hannah’s explanation, “and Dani, you made me realise that I didn’t want to waste any more time. I had to finally whisk Hannah off her feet.” He lunged to the kitchen counter grabbing a conveniently placed whisk before pulling Hannah into his arms.

 _Does he set these up on purpose or…?_ Dani wondered to herself. A small groan coming from Jamie beside her.

Hannah turned to look up at Owen before playfully pushing him in the chest. He smiled down at her before stepping away again, placing the whisk down now that it had done its part. Hannah then looked between Dani and Jamie with narrow eyes. “You two…” She pointed her finger between the two women.

“We wanted you to get a taste of your own medicine.” Dani explained with a shrug and a small smirk.

“We just wanted you to see what we have all been seeing all along. And what better reason than to get you back for fucking with us.” Jamie laughed, finally looking back at Owen, hoping to see his smug smile wiped from his face. Unfortunately for her, Owen’s smugness wasn’t going anywhere.

“Ladies!” Owen began, a huge smile still plastered on his face and his arms outstretched towards the group. “It looks like it all worked out for the best.” He raised his eyebrows as if looking for confirmation to his statement.

Hannah responded by linking her arm in Owen’s, squeezing his arm firmly.

Jamie looked at Dani with fake disgust. “I suppose.”

Dani pushed the woman beside her lightly in response to her sarcasm. “Flora is going to die when she finds out.” She joked. “And I know Miles is a romantic at heart.”

“We owe them a little something, don’t forget. That was your doing.” Jamie explained to Dani, making no attempt at lowering her voice.

“You bribed them?!” Hannah asked, appalled at the lengths Dani had apparently gone to.

“It was just an incentive!” Dani explained again in her defence. “At least we didn’t lie to them.” She exclaimed accusingly.

There was a silence between the group at that, before Owen found himself filling it.

“So, Jamie is still here because…?” Owen asked playfully.

“Because I’m spending the night.” Jamie said bluntly. “A sleepover of sorts.” She winked at the man. “What’s your plan, exactly?”

“Hannah is coming home with me tonight.” Owen responded, just as bluntly.

“Hmm.” Jamie narrowed her eyes at the man. The two of them stared at one another whilst Hannah and Dani hung their heads in embarrassment.

“Why do I feel like I’m back in high school?” Dani asked the room, shaking her head and placing a hand to her forehead.

“We should get going.” Hannah began, facing Owen. “Dani, how about joining us for a drink tomorrow evening though?” She asked accusingly, turning to the blonde woman.

“I would love that.” Dani replied innocently. “We do have a lot to talk about.”

Hannah made her way to the doorway of the kitchen, into the hall. Owen following her closely, throwing Jamie a look that Dani didn’t quite recognise, though she could certainly guess it’s meaning.

“Have fun you two.” Owen said, walking past Hannah and out of the front door.

“We’ll see you in the morning. Don’t get into trouble!” Hannah said with a smile before turning to follow Owen outside.

Jamie shouted across the hall to the pair just before they were out of ear shot. “And don’t you come sneaking back in to make out again!”

Dani elbowed Jamie in the rips lightly, “you’ll wake them.” Her eyes gestured to upstairs where Miles and Flora were presumably fast asleep. Jamie gave her an apologetic smile before shrugging.

Dani and Jamie were waving the Hannah and Owen goodbye as they left through the front door once again.

“Well, that was excruciating.” Dani said, smiling at Jamie.

Jamie turned to look at Dani stood beside her. “Yeah. But now we don’t have to hide anything.” She pulled the woman into a kiss before pulling her playfully by the wrist and leading her to her bedroom. The two of them pausing to kiss every so often as they stumbled up the stairs together, finally closing the door to Dani’s bedroom behind them.

* * *

The next day at the table for breakfast, the two couples sat beside each other on the opposite side of the table from Miles and Flora. The children were looking at the adults curiously before Jamie began talking to them. There was something tense and expectant in the air and both Miles and Flora could sense it.

“You remember the other day when we told you to pretend that Dan-” She shook her head before quickly correcting herself. “Miss Clayton and I had fallen out?” The two of them nodded slowly. “Well, it’s okay now because Hannah and Owen are in love!” Jamie turned to Hannah and Owen and laughed at the shock on Hannah’s face. She was expecting Jamie to come clean about her and Dani’s relationship first. Of course not.

Miles and Flora looked at each other before Miles’ eyes widened and Flora began cheering happily. “Wow, I can’t believe it, this is just perfectly splendid!” She explained.

Jamie interjected again before Hannah had chance to do any damage control. “And we even saw them kiss!” She explained in a fake disgust to the children.

They both let out an _‘eww’_ before laughing and congratulating the two of them in their own, roundabout way.

Hannah rolled her eyes before smiling brightly to the children, then at Owen. Allowing her hand to find his and their fingers to entangle on the table between them as a confirmation to the children that Jamie, for once, wasn’t exaggerating something to them.

Dani flashed a look at Jamie and gave her a loving smile at her interaction with the children. She loved it when Jamie went soft when speaking to them.

“Well, guess what?” Owen began, before Jamie had a chance to say something else idiotic. “Jamie has a girlfriend. And she’s sat at this table.” He looked towards Dani and raised his eyebrows at her.

Jamie let her face fall into her hands, a blush threatening to jeopardise her ‘cool’ demeanour. The children always thought of the gardener as ‘cool’, but there’s nothing less cool to a child than having a girlfriend, especially one that happens to be American.

“Miss Clayton?” Flora beamed across the table, not able to hold in her excitement at the news. “You’re like a real-life Princess and Jamie can be your Princess Charming!” She almost shouted across the table in glee, clapping her hands together and almost bouncing in her seat.

Dani couldn’t help but smile at Flora’s words, turning to see Jamie doing the same. She came from a place where she was so scared to admit her attraction for women because everyone would tell her that it ‘wasn’t appropriate’. Yet, here she was, sat beside Jamie, officially her girlfriend and the children she cared for didn’t even bat an eye at the fact that they were both women.

“My Princess Charming.” Dani repeated to Jamie and they both laughed.

“Well, I am charming.” Jamie said with a shrug, winking at Dani. Hannah and Owen laughed softly at the interaction and Dani leaned in to give Jamie a small kiss on the cheek. 

Miles was sat beside Flora, smiling widely across the table at the four adults. He often preferred to act more mature than his age and shied away from showing too much emotion, but he couldn’t hold back. Like Dani had said to Jamie the day before, Miles was a romantic at heart.

And there they were, Dani and Jamie, Hannah and Owen, how it always should have been. This was never just a job for any of them, never just a Manor in the country. They had found home in each other, with Miles and Flora making it a full family.

* * *

As Dani was getting ready for bed the next evening, she heard a quiet knock on her bedroom door. She wasn’t expecting anyone that evening, Owen and Jamie had left to go home, and Hannah had gone to bed a few hours before. She opened it to find Jamie, holding a potted plant in her hands. She had changed from the muddy dungarees she had been wearing all day and was now in black jeans and a t shirt featuring a band she didn't recognise. 

Dani opened the door fully to allow Jamie to walk past her into the bedroom. 

“I promised to give you a plant that resembled your beauty better.” Jamie began before Dani had a chance to say anything.

The blonde woman nodded carefully, not wanting to interrupt Jamie. A loving smile forming on her face.

The gardener extended her arms, handing the plant to Dani. “Well, this is a moonflower. It doesn’t look like much now, but it will.” Dani took the pot from Jamie’s hands and examined the closed white bud of the plant.

Dani stood watching Jamie as she spoke about the flower, admiring the passion and excitement she was showing.

“It only blooms at night, and each bud only once, it won’t be tonight but, in a few days, hopefully. But for all the effort that goes into such a little pay off, it’s still worth it. People have never been worth the effort for me before but Dani, you seem worth it.” Jamie let out a breath, the nerves finally catching up with her as she spoke. “You’re worth the effort and I kinda think you’re really pretty.” She ended with a small laugh.

Dani could feel her vision blur as her eyes filled with tears. No one had ever spoken to her so openly and sincerely before. Sure, when she was with Eddie he had thrown around words like 'pretty' and 'beautiful' but never like this, never with such intensity behind them.

Jamie stepped forward to close the gap between her and Dani before lifting a hand to her face and wiping a falling tear with her thumb. Dani just looked up at the woman, her eyes staring deeply at her.

“I don’t know what to say.” Dani whispered finally, her eyes never leaving Jamie’s.

“A thanks would be nice.” Jamie laughed and Dani allowed more tears to fall as she laughed at the terrible joke. Jamie took the moonflower from her hands and placed it on the nearby window ledge before quickly coming back to take Dani in her arms. The two women were stood in the middle of the bedroom, Jamie holding Dani tightly as Dani nestled her head into Jamie’s shoulder, her t shirt absorbing the tears.

After a few minutes, when Dani felt her eyes begin to dry again, she lifted her head to look at the woman holding her again. “Were you going to stay?”

“I suppose that would depend on how this went.” Jamie smiled, allowing her head to rest against Dani’s, their foreheads meeting.

“You'd better go home then.” Dani joked with a smile.

Jamie laughed at Dani’s successful attempt at matching her sarcasm before she took a step towards the bed, pulling Dani with her. The two women quickly found themselves tangled in each other on Dani’s increasingly familiar bed, wrapped in the comfort of each other's arms. 


End file.
